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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26257783">Seduce Us</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/silkyterrier34/pseuds/silkyterrier34'>silkyterrier34</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Seduce Us Series [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Seduce Me (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:53:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>47,960</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26257783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/silkyterrier34/pseuds/silkyterrier34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Mika wasn't alone when she met the boys?</p>
<p>Naomi and Suzu got more than they bargained for when they offered to stay with Mika during her first day in the mansion. None of them expected to find injured incubi in the lobby. They didn't expect to fall in love with them either.</p>
<p>*Story Finished and Updates Every Wednesday*</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Anderson | Raestrao/Mika Anderson, Matthew Anderson | Zecaeru/Naomi Patterson, Sam Anderson | Aomaris/Suzu Cappini</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Seduce Us Series [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907680</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Thursday/Friday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Holy crap! Turning a visual novel format into a novel format was harder than I expected!</p>
<p>Anyway, I adore the dynamic between the Triple Threat Trio in Seduce Me. In canon, they were friends since preschool, and Mika was obviously closer to her friends than she was to her own parents. I liked to imagine Naomi and Suzu knowing about the incubi due to their closeness with Mika. Pretty soon, this story formed in my head.</p>
<p>I would recommend refreshing your knowledge on James' route before reading this. There are scenes with him and Mika that I omit from the story because it'd be tedious for you to read the exact scene you've already played through.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoy this fic! Some feedback in the form of likes or reviews would also be appreciated!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mika’s friends were a Godsend. Even after having the worst day of her life, they were able to distract her while talking on the phone. For a few hours, her grandfather was alive, her cheek didn’t hurt, and she wasn’t moving anywhere. All because she and her friends were chatting about random topics. The conversation eventually morphed into one about the show <em>Herlock</em>.</p>
<p>She laughed. “Yeah, he has really high cheekbones. And his eyes are pretty. Though I do have to say I prefer Jatson. And as a bonus his actor is just so sassy.”</p>
<p>She looked over at her hanging clock to see that it was 1:00 AM. She should really shower and get to bed. Especially with it being a school night. Mika was about to apologize to her friends for keeping them up so late when she caught a glimpse of the bags she had packed.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the last few hours of bliss her friends had created shattered. Her grandfather was dead, and even her friends couldn’t fix that. To add insult to injury, she was being forced to live in a mansion that, in a perfect world, he would be occupying.</p>
<p>Her sudden silence must’ve concerned her friends. Suzu asked, “Anderson? You good?”</p>
<p>Screw the time, there was something else she needed to get off her chest. A few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. “There’s… there’s something I haven’t told you guys yet.”</p>
<p>This time, it was Naomi who spoke, “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“My grandpa left his mansion to me, and my dad wants me to move in tomorrow after school.”</p>
<p>Suzu exclaimed, “Time out! Did you say mansion?!”</p>
<p>Naomi shushed Suzu, and Mika barely heard her mutter an apology.</p>
<p>She continued, “Yeah, his mansion. My dad says moving there is only logical because it’s so close to the college he wants me to go to. Which I guess I get, but why now? Every time I’ve gone to Grandpa’s, he was there. He’s as much a part of the mansion as the walls or the floorboards. How am I supposed to handle being alone in a place as big as his mansion?! How am I expected to be happy when the person who could make that place feel homey is gone?! Can’t my dad let me get used to the idea of Grandpa being dead before sending me there?!”</p>
<p>Realizing how loud she was getting, Mika quickly lowered her voice to barely above a whisper so as not to wake her parents. “It’s just not fair.”</p>
<p>There was a pause before she heard Naomi say with genuine pity, “Mika… I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p>Suzu, apparently over her shock of a mansion being mentioned, said, “I thought you were lucky at first, but when you put it that way…”</p>
<p>Mika nodded despite knowing her friends wouldn’t see it. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be keeping you guys up so late. I just… I really needed to tell someone. You know?”</p>
<p>She expected one of them to reply, but a few seconds passed with no response. It wasn’t until she thought about checking to see if her phone had died when she finally heard Suzu say something.</p>
<p>“I know that look, Patterson. What are you thinking?”</p>
<p>Naomi said, “This goes against my rule about inviting myself places, but what if we had a slumber party-no party isn’t the right word… What if we had a sleepover at your new place tomorrow so we can help you settle in?”</p>
<p>Suzu chuckled. “You looking for an excuse to sleep in a mansion?”</p>
<p>“No, of course not! I just figured if we were there, we could help her not feel so alone.”</p>
<p>Mika pondered the idea. Naomi and Suzu were able to distract her for hours tonight. Who’s to say they wouldn’t be able to distract her while in the mansion? The thought of being alone at Grandpa’s was daunting, but just thinking of her friends by her side was making her heart feel less heavy.</p>
<p>But what about when it was time for them to leave? They wouldn’t be able to stay there forever. When they do go back home, would Mika feel even more alone than if she simply started out by herself? If that were the case, perhaps it was better for her to spend her first night in the mansion without them.</p>
<p>Weighing the pros and cons, Mika made a decision. “I’d actually love that. My dad’s taking me over there right after school. If you guys bring your things to school, we can drive you there.”</p>
<p>Suzu replied with, “Can do!”</p>
<p>Naomi said, “Sure thing!”</p>
<p>Despite the circumstances, Mika felt joyful that her friends were tagging along. “I have to get ready for bed. I’ll see you guys at school tomorrow!”</p>
<p>She waited for her friends to say goodbye before hanging up.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day, Naomi and Suzu had each come to school with a duffel bag. The school day had gone on somewhat normal, but people were giving Mika their condolences left and right. That, her dueling emotions, and the conflict with Lisette were the only major differences.</p>
<p>Pretty soon, the three friends were standing in front of the school with their bookbags and luggage. Mr. Anderson, being a punctual man, pulled up to the front in his blue car not long after they came out of the building. When Mika had asked him that morning to give her friends a ride too, she half expected begging to be necessary. To her surprise, he needed no persuasion. She wondered if it was out of guilt for hitting her or if he thought her friends’ presence would ensure Mika wouldn’t continue the argument they had the night before. Either way, she was grateful.</p>
<p>As they approached the car, he instructed, “Go ahead and put your luggage with Mika’s in the trunk.”</p>
<p>Suzu asked, “Do you mind if I put my bookbag in there too? I’ve got a lot of textbooks in it today.”</p>
<p>At his nod Naomi and Suzu went to put their things in the trunk while Mika got into the front seat. He didn’t say anything until her friends got in the back. “We should be at the house in a few minutes. It’s not far from here.”</p>
<p>As he began to drive, Naomi told him, “Thank you for the ride, Mr. Anderson. I’m also very sorry for your loss.”</p>
<p>They noticed him grip the steering wheel tighter before seemingly forcing himself to relax. “It’s no trouble, and thank you for the condolences.”</p>
<p>Mika hadn’t exactly explained the mysterious rift between her father and grandfather, but Suzu and Naomi had been her friends long enough to know about it. However, they began to suspect the rift was larger than they thought.</p>
<p>The tension in the car had kept everyone quiet until they got to the mansion. Unlike Naomi, who had been to mansions with her own father as he worked with politicians, Suzu had never stepped foot in such a large house. Mika’s new home had exceeded her expectations, and they hadn’t even been inside yet. It almost made her forget the tragic reason Mika was living there in the first place.</p>
<p>Mr. Anderson parked the car by the front gate. “Here we are. Go on in.”</p>
<p>Suzu couldn’t help herself as she hopped out of the car and hurried to the trunk. Naomi unbuckled her seatbelt, but otherwise didn’t move. She was subconsciously waiting for Mika and Mr. Anderson to say their goodbyes like her own family would do.</p>
<p>Mika told her father, “Tell Mom I love her.”</p>
<p>“I will,” he responded with no emotion.</p>
<p>Naomi sat still as an uncomfortable silence followed.</p>
<p>“I love you, Dad.”</p>
<p>Naomi’s father would have had no problem responding to that. Even that morning, he had given her a hug and told her he loved her too. Mika’s father just continued to sit there, looking sad about something. The whole situation was depressing, and Naomi felt a new appreciation for her father’s open sincerity.</p>
<p>Knowing he wasn’t going to reply, Mika got out of the car, Naomi following suit. By the time they got to the trunk, Suzu had already gotten all of their things out.</p>
<p>As she shut the trunk door, Suzu teased, “Slow getting out of class. Slow getting out of cars.”</p>
<p>As Mr. Anderson drove away, the girls admired the mansion. It was larger than Naomi or Suzu imagined it to be, but it was just as Mika remembered it. She was feeling so intimidated looking at it, yet a part of her fully expected her grandfather to greet her inside. She was tempted not to go in at all and to turn the sleepover into a camping trip on the front lawn.</p>
<p>Naomi put a comforting hand on Mika’s shoulder. “Think of it like an adventure.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Mika repeated uncertainly, “An adventure.”</p>
<p>Suzu added, “A freaking awesome adventure where we go on a quest and kick ass!”</p>
<p>Naomi was a bit confused. “Whose butt would we be kicking exactly?”</p>
<p>“Life’s. With as crappy as life can get, it’s about time someone teach it a lesson!” she responded.</p>
<p>Mika, now smiling, picked up her things and began walking to the front door. “Well then, let’s not keep life waiting.”</p>
<p>Naomi, her duffel bag now strapped to her, followed. Suzu was about to do the same when she remembered a promise she made to her little sister.</p>
<p>“Hey guys, I’ll be right behind you. Francesca wanted me to take some pictures of the place.” Mika and Naomi nodded back to her in understanding as Suzu got her phone out to take photos.</p>
<p>When the two reached the door, Mika got out her key and took a deep breath. “Here we go.”</p>
<p>She inserted the key and unlocked the door. Opening it, they stepped into the dark lobby. The front door didn’t have the ability to shut by itself, and Mika decided to leave it open for Suzu. That’s when she and Naomi noticed something weird.</p>
<p>“What’s that smell?” Naomi asked as they stepped inside. The odor was coppery, like someone had dumped a mountain of pennies in the lobby. It was nothing like the floral smell that usually welcomed her grandfather's visitors.</p>
<p>Mika turned on the light, only to drop her things in shock. Naomi gasped and covered her mouth at the sight, eyes filled with horror. Five injured men were lying on the floor in what appeared to be their own blood.</p>
<p>Mika exclaimed, “Who are you guys?!”</p>
<p>No answer.</p>
<p>“I’m calling the police!”</p>
<p>Still no answer.</p>
<p>“Mika,” Naomi began as she put her hand down. “I think they’re uncon-”</p>
<p>In the blink of an eye, one of the boys was up on his feet and standing in front of Mika. Normally, both girls would yell in shock or fight back, but suddenly, they couldn’t move. This tranquil feeling overcame them as the boy held Mika’s chin. No amount of willpower could break through the calm aura. Naomi likened it to the drugs she got when her wisdom teeth were removed.</p>
<p>“Woman,” he said, “you’re going to let me kiss you.”</p>
<p>The shock they both experienced by his question barely registered. Mika even felt inclined to accept his order. “Uh huh. Go ahead.”</p>
<p>“Good,” he said before pressing his lips to hers.</p>
<p>Mika felt as if energy was travelling out of her lips and to this man, but she didn’t care. She was too enveloped in whatever spell she was under. However, the kiss didn’t last very long.</p>
<p>“AHHHHHH!”</p>
<p>The stranger’s lips abruptly left hers as Suzu tackled him to the ground with a battle cry. That feeling of serenity quickly disappeared from Naomi and Mika as they watched their friend hit the stranger over and over again with her heavy backpack.</p>
<p>She screamed at him in a mixture of English and Italian, “<em>PERVERTITO! </em>DICK!<em> BASTARDO! </em>JERK! CREEP! <em>VAFFANCULO!</em>”</p>
<p>As the other two girls finally came to their senses, they rushed over and pried Suzu off of him. She struggled against their hold as they pulled her back towards the front door.</p>
<p>“LET ME AT HIM!”</p>
<p>The guy stood up again, pissed. “WHAT THE HELL, LADY?!”</p>
<p>“SICKO! PERV!”</p>
<p>“LISTEN YOU-!”</p>
<p>“Sam,” said a new voice, “That’s enough.”</p>
<p>The girls and Sam looked to see that the other four men were standing up. Suzu stopped struggling as she and her friends stared at them. They were covered in painful looking gashes and bruises from head to toe. Blood continued to slip out of open wounds and stuck to their skin and clothes.</p>
<p>Sam got defensive. “But-but… She...!”</p>
<p>The one who spoke had black hair and glasses. The girls couldn’t help but think that he looked like a tall Harry Potter. “You used your abilities on her friends. How did you expect her to react?”</p>
<p>A boy whose red hair was almost pink chimed in, “Honestly, Sam, you’re such a brute. Taking advantage of beautiful young women like that!”</p>
<p>Sam shrugged. “Well at least I feel a hell of a lot better than you right now.”</p>
<p>Harry Potter turned his attention to the girls. Especially Mika. “I’m sorry about my brother. He can be a bit reckless.”</p>
<p>Sam growled as the other boy with black hair said, “Can we not fight right now guys? Not all of us are in the best shape.”</p>
<p>The guy with almost pink hair replied, “I agree with Matthew.”</p>
<p>This was all so surreal to the girls. Mika especially was trying to wrap her head around what five strangers were doing in her grandfather’s house. It was all so out of place. She felt as if these men were trampling on her grandfather’s name and sanctuary, and she wasn’t going to stand for that.</p>
<p>She exploded. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?! WHO ARE YOU GUYS?! WHY ARE YOU ALL BLEEDING?! WHAT’S GOING ON?!”</p>
<p>Suzu still hadn’t been released by her friends, so Mika was almost screaming in her ear. She leaned her head as far away from Mika as possible as she yelled. Naomi, knowing she had a much better chance of calming Mika’s rage than Suzu’s, put a hand on her shoulder again.</p>
<p>“Mika, calm down! You won’t get your answers by screaming!”</p>
<p>As difficult as it was, she tried to take Naomi’s advice and calm down. She settled for glaring daggers at the boys, who all looked very startled by her outburst. That included the one who kissed her.</p>
<p>Wait…</p>
<p>The one who <em>kissed </em>her.</p>
<p>Letting go of Suzu, Mika marched up to Sam and smacked him across the face. The impact seemed to echo around the lobby, causing Naomi and the other men to flinch. In contrast, Suzu beamed with pride.</p>
<p>“Ouch! What’s your problem?!”</p>
<p>“<em>My </em>problem?!” exclaimed Mika, “What’s <em>your</em> problem?! You can’t just go around kissing people like that! What are you, some kind of pervert?!”</p>
<p>“Pervert?! It was only a kiss!”</p>
<p>“It might not have meant anything to you, but it means a lot to me!”</p>
<p>“What? Was it your first kiss?”</p>
<p>Suzu’s rage was returning. “It doesn’t matter, asshole!”</p>
<p>Sam glared at Suzu as he retorted with, “Mind your own business, Shorty.” His attention was brought back to Mika when she smacked him again. “Ow! What was that for?!”</p>
<p>“For kissing me <em>and </em>insulting my friend!”</p>
<p>He replied, “Well, what do you want me to do? It’s not like I can take it back.”</p>
<p>Naomi, a bit irked herself, suggested, “You could apologize to her.”</p>
<p>Sam hesitated, but he eventually said, “Why do I always have to look like the bad guy? Apologies aren’t my forte… but I’ll try my best…” All eyes were on Sam as he struggled with his words. “Okay, I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“Sorry for what?” asked Mika.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry for kissing you like that. I went too far. I didn’t mean for it to turn out that way. It’s just… I act on impulse okay? It’s difficult to control myself and… Ugh, what am I saying?”</p>
<p>Mika, seeing how hard this was for him, decided he had suffered enough. “It’s okay. I get what you’re trying to say. Thank you for the apology.”</p>
<p>Suzu mumbled to herself, “It’s the least he can do.”</p>
<p>Apparently hearing her, Sam looked at Suzu out of the corner of his eye as he said, “Yeah… no problem.”</p>
<p>Naomi sheepishly raised her hand. “Excuse me, but… why are you all here?”</p>
<p>Harry Potter was quick to explain, “Ladies, please excuse our intrusion. We didn’t know anyone lived here, nor did we have the time to take that into consideration. We were attacked by a gang of… misfits, and had to seek shelter. Lucky for us your house was nearby and the windows were unlocked.”</p>
<p>Mika replied, “I guess that explains the wounds, but not why he kissed me like that.”</p>
<p>Naomi noticed something else was off about Sam. “Also, why isn’t he hurt anymore?”</p>
<p>She was right. When he first approached Mika, he had had similar injuries to those of his brothers. Now, the only evidence he had been hurt were bloodstains on his clothes.</p>
<p>The one with pinkish hair answered, “He’s no longer wounded <em>because</em> of the kiss.”</p>
<p>Suzu raised an eyebrow. “I’m not following.”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “Well lovely flustered lady, we’re not exactly… normal.”</p>
<p>His statement only confused the girls further. They figured these guys weren’t normal behaviorwise, but the way he said that, it made it sound like they weren’t physically normal either.</p>
<p>Mika partly joked, “What do you mean? Are you guys like, demons or something?”</p>
<p>To their surprise, the one who hadn’t spoken yet sighed and Matthew answered cheerfully, “Yeah, actually, something like that.”</p>
<p>Harry Potter clarified, “We’re incubi; demons who consume and use sexual energy of humans to survive.”</p>
<p>Mika and Suzu had heard of incubi growing up. They were in fables and folklore found on the internet. They could shapeshift into anyone and turned people into sex-crazed monsters. Of course, they never considered the possibility of an incubus existing. Naomi, being the most innocent out of the three, had never heard of such creatures.</p>
<p>“That’s a thing?” she asked.</p>
<p>Suzu snorted and said to the boys, “Right. Pull the other one.”</p>
<p>Harry Potter insisted, “It’s the truth. The kiss my brother thoughtlessly stole is why he no longer has a scratch on him.”</p>
<p>Mika, finally gathering her wits, interjected, “It was fun while it lasted, but incubuses don’t exist.”</p>
<p>“Incubi is the correct plural form, and yes, we do exist.”</p>
<p>As soon as the words left Mika’s mouth, she regretted them. “Prove it.”</p>
<p>Suzu was curious to see how these men would respond to the challenge, but Naomi was shocked by her friend’s dare. The tranquil effect that washed over her and Mika was still fresh in her mind. She couldn’t fathom how they could both be so calm as a boy demanded a kiss. Not to mention, she didn’t know why else Mika would agree to a kiss she obviously didn’t want.</p>
<p>Harry Potter agreed. “Very well. Erik, go ahead.”</p>
<p>Erik turned out to be the one whose hair was almost pink. He chuckled before saying in a sultry voice, “Very well.”</p>
<p>As soon as he said that, the serene ambience returned to the lobby. The girls were relaxing to the point they felt like their legs would give out from under them. Seeing what Suzu did to Sam, Erik must’ve decided it was safer to use his powers on all of them. They barely registered him talking before his lips were on Mika’s. Again, Mika felt her energy exiting her body via her lips.</p>
<p>“Alright, that’s enough,” someone said.</p>
<p>Erik broke the kiss and the girls were in control of their bodies once more. “I feel so much better.”</p>
<p>Naomi and Suzu were able to get back to normal, but Mika still struggled to hold herself upright. She felt as if she hadn’t slept in ages, but she tried not to show it.</p>
<p>Suzu didn’t notice the distress her friend was in. “Okay, we believe you.”</p>
<p>Harry Potter smiled. “Where are our manners? I’m James, and these are my brothers Erik, Sam, Matthew, and Damien.”</p>
<p>Unlike Suzu, Naomi noticed that Mika was starting to sway a bit. “Mika? What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>She didn’t get a chance to respond as she crumpled to the floor. Her friends rushed towards her, kneeling by her side once they reached her.</p>
<p>“ANDERSON!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Friday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here's the new chapter everyone! This is where being familiar with James' route is going to be handy because I skip the part where Mika is telling him about her grandfather's passing and why she's living in the mansion alone.</p><p>Also, seeing the bookmarks, kudos, and comments really makes my day! Thank you to those who have left any of those!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mika woke up from what seemed to be a deep sleep. She was trying to recall what day it was. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see that she wasn’t in her room. Instead, she was in the master bedroom of her grandfather’s mansion, and her friends were watching TV at the foot of the bed.</p><p>Everything that happened prior to her collapse rushed back to her. Incubi. There were actual incubi in her home. Or did they leave? Either way, their mere existence was enough to turn her world upside down.</p><p>Naomi turned her head to see that she was awake. “Mika!” She practically tackled her friend in a hug. “We were so worried about you!”</p><p>“Where are the incubi?” she asked.</p><p>Suzu turned off the TV. “Me and Patterson were able to give them enough energy to heal. They’re downstairs cleaning up the lobby.”</p><p>“Wait, they kissed you guys too?!”</p><p>Naomi exclaimed, “No! We just held their hands!”</p><p>Mika sighed in relief. If her friends were going to kiss anyone, she knew they’d rather it be for love. Naomi especially.</p><p>Suzu scooted over next to Mika. “Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I have no idea how to handle this sort of thing. What are we going to do?”</p><p>Mika smiled. “Well I don’t think anyone will believe us if we say incubi are in the mansion, so that’s out.”</p><p>Naomi nodded in agreement. “My parents would say to call the police, but that doesn’t seem right. I mean, it’s not like they broke in to steal things.”</p><p>Mika decided they needed more information before making a decision. “Did they tell you anything else while I was out?”</p><p>Suzu answered, “Not much, but that Damien guy? He can read minds!”</p><p>“…Come again?”</p><p>Naomi blushed as she remembered. “Do you think he can hear our thoughts now?”</p><p>Suzu shrugged. “Why should we care?”</p><p>“Because we’re talking about him and his brothers! It’s like gossiping about someone while they’re hiding around the corner! It’s rude!”</p><p>Mika butted in before Suzu could retort. “Wait! One of them can read minds?!”</p><p>“Yeah,” said Suzu, “He answered a question I thought to myself, and then he was able to guess what numbers we were thinking of.”</p><p>Naomi rolled her eyes. “What number <em>I  </em>was thinking of. You thought about ninjas.”</p><p>“I wanted to be sure he wasn’t doing some sort of magic trick. And ninjas are awesome!”</p><p>There was a knock on the door before it opened, revealing Damien himself. All of his injuries were gone, and there was no blood on his clothes to prove they ever existed. “Hello.”</p><p>Naomi waved a bit. “Hi.”</p><p>He smiled at them. “I just wanted to let you all know that dinner’s almost ready.”</p><p>“Dinner?” Suzu asked.</p><p>His smile disappeared as guilt took over his expression. “It’s the least we can do after breaking into your home and two of using our powers on you.”</p><p>Mika considered that for a moment. “Fair point.”</p><p>“Can you walk okay?” he asked Mika.</p><p>She was still very tired, but she didn’t think it was anything to fret over. Before she could answer, Damien picked her up bridal style. Once she was over her initial shock of being swooped up, all she could focus on was how strong he was. It was genuinely impressive how he held her as if she weighed nothing.</p><p>“Why thank you,” he said.</p><p>The telepathy was also worth bragging about.</p><p>Naomi was having secondhand embarrassment for Mika, and left the room first. Seeing how easily Damien was able to pick up Mika, Suzu was wondering if he could simultaneously give her a piggyback ride. Despite being rather short, she wasn’t able to have one of those in ages.</p><p>He turned to Suzu, “You can get on my back if you want to.”</p><p>She grinned before hopping on. Damien didn't even have to regain his footing after the impact, and was able to casually follow Naomi out the door as if he wasn’t carrying anything remotely heavy. Naomi, was only a few paces in front of the trio. She spent the entire walk to the lobby trying to fathom what craziness was going on behind her.</p><p>When they reached the lobby, Damien set Mika down and Suzu let go of his back. Hearing her friends get off of Damien, Naomi stopped and turned around. </p><p>“I have to go help my brothers. There should already be something to eat in the dining room.”</p><p>As they thanked him, he gave a polite smile and walked away. When he disappeared from sight, his brother Matthew entered the lobby. “Oh, hey guys!”</p><p>It took her a moment, but Mika managed to recognize him. “You’re Matthew, right?”</p><p>He nodded. “Mm-hmm! That’s me! Are you feeling any better now? We were all worried when you passed out.”</p><p>“Oh. I’m fine.”</p><p>Naomi asked, “What about you? Do you feel better?”</p><p>He appeared a bit shocked by her question before answering gleefully, “Oh yeah! We’re all doing much better! Thanks for asking!”</p><p>Mika added, “And thanks for making us dinner. You guys didn’t have to do that.”</p><p>“Of course we did! We have to make everything up to you somehow! That actually reminds me! I wanted to give you guys something else!” They watched as Matthew stuck his hands in his pockets. He seemed happy, yet deep in concentration. “Wait for it… Wait for it…”</p><p>Finally, he removed his hands from his pockets, holding a stuffed animal. “Tada!”</p><p>The girls could only stare at his creation. It looked like an albino squirrel holding a knife. It also had red eyes and a demonic smile to match. The doll wasn’t exactly one you’d see in a child’s bedroom. Matthew still hadn’t bothered to look at his doll, so they wondered if he even knew what he made.</p><p>Suzu finally broke the silence. “Uh… what exactly is that supposed to be?”</p><p>Matthew looked down at his hands, only to see an abomination. High-pitched laughter sounded from the toy just as his eyes landed on it. Freaked out, he dropped the doll and frantically backed away from it. “G-Get it away from me! It might be possessed by a demon or something!”</p><p>“…Aren’t you a demon?” Suzu asked as Naomi picked the doll up.</p><p>“Not that kind of demon!”</p><p>Naomi continued to observe the toy in her hands, looking at it from several angles.</p><p>“That’s not what I wanted to make!” he continued, “I just wanted to make something to help make up for earlier! But that looks like it came straight out of a horror movie!” He slumped his shoulders and looked down at his feet.</p><p>Mika attempted to cheer him up. “You don’t have to look so dejected. It’s certainly unique.”</p><p>Naomi hugged the doll. “I love him!”</p><p>Everyone looked at her in surprise. Mika and Suzu figured she would hate it the most. While Naomi still had stuffed animals from her childhood, none of them looked remotely like that.</p><p>“What?” said Suzu.</p><p>“But…” Matthew uttered. “It looks so creepy.”</p><p>Naomi responded with, “Even creepy things need love! Besides, he can be rather cute depending on how you look at him. Like maybe the little knife is for cutting up cake to share with his friends!”</p><p>Now it made sense. As a little girl, Naomi would feel guilty if she hadn’t played with a certain toy for a long time. She’d even feel bad if a stuffed animal fell out of her bed during the night. Figures that little girl was still in there somewhere, wanting to make sure no stuffed animal felt alone.</p><p>“Thank you, Matthew,” Naomi said.</p><p>He still seemed rather embarrassed by what he made, but Matthew was able to chuckle. “No problem. It’s good to see at least one of you smiling. Even if the thing I made still creeps me out a bit… Anyway, you guys should come with me to the dining room. We’ve almost finished the rest of the food, and I don’t mean to brag, but we’re pretty decent chefs.”</p><p>Suzu smirked. “I think we’ll be the judge of that.”</p><p>They followed him into the large dining room. The table already had several plates of food on it from appetizers to desserts. It was like the boys had tried to cook every dish under the sun. As they observed the food, Matthew took the opportunity to go back to the kitchen.</p><p>Sam was standing by the table when he noticed them. “Oh, the girl’s awake.”</p><p>Mika glared at him. “Excuse you. I have a name.”</p><p>“Should we really care?”</p><p>James appeared in the dining room in time to hear Sam’s question. “Sam, I will roast that tongue for dinner if it doesn’t stop flapping in that idiotic mouth of yours.”</p><p>Suzu gave out a single laugh before saying, “It’s okay, James. I’m sure Sean was just playing around.”</p><p>Sam raised an eyebrow. “It’s Sam.”</p><p>Suzu tried to smile innocently at him, but her grin ended up resembling that of a cat backing a mouse into a corner. “Should we really care?”</p><p>His eyes widened as he realized that he walked right into her trap. James, on the other hand, failed to hide his amusement.</p><p>Suzu, triumphant, asked Mika, “Where’s your bathroom?”</p><p>“It’s to the right of the lobby.” Suzu left, her head held up a little higher than usual. Sam watched her leave, apparently still trying to figure out how he fell for her trick.</p><p>Naomi approached the table. “How long did it take to make all of this?”</p><p>James answered, “A few hours. We weren’t sure what you three would want but didn't want to disturb you, so we decided to make a variety of dishes.”</p><p>She looked at the doll in her hands. “It doesn’t look like there’s room for you on the table. Why don’t you stay in Mika’s room for now?”</p><p>Sam and James noticed the doll for the first time. “What is that?” Sam inquired.</p><p>Naomi began her trek back to Mika’s room. “A gift from Matthew.”</p><p>Sam shrugged before going to the kitchen. Now it was just Mika and James.</p><p>She told him, “You didn’t have to do all of this.”</p><p>He smiled at her. “We insist. Besides, it’s quite impossible for us to ‘undo’ all of our cooking, even if you command us to.”</p><p>“Alright, well… thank you!”</p><p>Matthew entered with a couple more plates. “Where’d everybody go?”</p><p>“Suzu’s using the restroom and Naomi’s putting your gift upstairs,” she explained.</p><p>“Oh.” he set the dishes on the table before giving an exaggerated bow and flourish. “Dinner is served.” He left toward the lobby, probably to let the others know it was time to eat.</p><p>Mika smiled. “It all looks and smells so good!”</p><p>Erik appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. “We hope you enjoy it, my sweet.”</p><p>“Wha? Sweet? Me?”</p><p>James gave Erik a stern look that could’ve served as a warning on its own. “Erik, knock it off.”</p><p>“You’re no fun James,” he replied as he went to the table.</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, Naomi had sat her doll on the nightstand. She knew he wasn’t alive, but it didn’t feel right to shove him in her duffel bag. This wasn’t just her wanting to treat a toy kindly either. There was something in the back of her mind telling her that this particular doll was special. She decided it wouldn’t hurt to listen to it for now. Satisfied, she left the room and started walking back to the lobby.</p><p>To her surprise, she ran into Matthew again. “Oh, there you are! I was just going to let you know dinner’s ready.”</p><p>“Thank you,” she said as they began walking back to the dining room together.</p><p>“I would let Suzu know too, but I figured she’d want some privacy.”</p><p>She giggled. “You don’t have to tell her. She never misses a chance to eat, especially if the food’s covered in spices.”</p><p>“We actually did make some spicy stuff, but we wanted to play it safe and go easy on anything hot. We’ll make something spicier next time.”</p><p>“Next time? You don’t have to make our meals. We usually order pizza during sleepovers, and cooking is my passion.”</p><p>Matthew asked, “Really? What kind of things do you cook?”</p><p>“Thanks to Suzu, I have plenty of practice with pepper-based dishes, but I generally enjoy cooking anything. I’m even planning on becoming a chef.”</p><p>“That’s really neat!”</p><p>By the time they made it back to the dining room, Mika was sitting at the end of the table with Erik standing next to her. He was gesturing to the plates on the table.</p><p>Erik said, “I made almost all of the dishes myself!”</p><p>Matthew was obviously shocked by his statement, but his expression quickly turned to a frown. “And I’m the queen of the Nile!</p><p>“What’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p>“Me, you, and James did the work together, dummy.”</p><p>James corrected, “It’s you, James, and I, Matthew.”</p><p>Erik smiled before pulling out a chair next to Mika. “Here you are Ms. Patterson. A meal fit for three lovely young ladies.”</p><p>Face as red as a beet, Naomi took the offered seat. “Thank you.”</p><p>Mika told him, “I should probably warn you not to do that with Suzu.”</p><p>Erik walked to the other side of the table and stood by the chair on Mika’s other side. “But doesn’t every girl deserve the royal treatment?”</p><p>His brothers rolled their eyes as Suzu came back. “Dude, you didn’t tell me the bathroom was so huge!”</p><p>Ignoring her statement, Erik attempted to charm her. “Ah, the third princess is here. Allow me to help you in your chair, Your Highness.” He held out his hand to her. In response, Suzu walked right passt him and sat opposite of Naomi.</p><p>Damien entered the dining room with some napkins. “Be thankful. She was thinking about slapping your hand.”</p><p>Erik held the hand he had offered and rubbed it as if it had been hit. “I will take Mika’s future warnings with much more consideration.”</p><p>Sam, having just returned to the dining room, said, “You can get really annoying with that suck up act.”</p><p>“I’m just trying to be a gentleman!”</p><p>James lectured, “There’s a difference between being a gentleman and being an obnoxious flirt.”</p><p>Matthew laughed. “Schooled even by James. You’re going to need some cold water for that burn!”</p><p>As the other boys took their seats, Mika noticed how comfortable they seemed around her and her friends. It almost made her forget about earlier. Almost. Next to her, Naomi considered these boys harmless. She figured if they planned on hurting anyone, they would have done so already. However, she was still curious as to their background. Suzu was still skeptical of Sam, and Erik could get on her nerves, but she didn’t feel any need to kick them out of the mansion just yet.</p><p>Mika decided it was time to get more information. “Excuse me.”</p><p>Everyone looked to her. It was a bit intimidating having all of those eyes on her. At the same time, it also made her feel very important, like she was the queen of the mansion.</p><p>She continued, “Thank you very much for the food, but why did you all come here? I still don’t quite understand.”</p><p>Naomi nodded to the boys. “Yeah, me too.”</p><p>Matthew rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, um… How do we explain?”</p><p>Sam seemed rather annoyed by their question. “We were attacked. We came here to heal. What’s so difficult to understand?”</p><p>Erik glared at his brother. “Now you’re just being rude, Sam.”</p><p>“I’m just saying. What’s so difficult to understand?”</p><p>Suzu crossed her arms. “We want specifics, dumbass. Who attacked you and why?”</p><p>“Should we call the police?” asked Naomi.</p><p>It was James who did the explaining once again, “I’m afraid the police won’t be of any help, Miss. You see, we’ve been travelling for some time now and Chicago was our next stop, but we were jumped by a group of devils nearby.”</p><p>“Devils?” said Mika, “You mean like Satan?”</p><p>“Yes. However, his followers are also called devils. They’re what humans commonly mistake as demons. They’re evil, taking any chance they get to hurt others. Today, their victims happened to be us. So, in order to escape and heal, we came here for shelter. Again, we apologize for the mess we made.”</p><p>Mika responded, “Oh, that’s okay. It’s not like you had much control over where your blood went.”</p><p>Naomi sighed. “It doesn’t sound like the police would survive trying to arrest them.”</p><p>Suzu added, “Not to mention, we’d be put in a psych ward if we tried to get help.”</p><p>James offered a sad smile. “Is there anything else you ladies wish to know?”</p><p>Mika nodded. “Well... What do you all plan on doing now?”</p><p>Matthew asked, “Yeah. What are we going to do now, James?”</p><p>Even James seemed uncertain. “That is a very good question. We just got here, and surely we’ll be hunted again if we try to leave.”</p><p>Sam replied with, “We can take ‘em. Easily.”</p><p>Erik wasn’t so confident. “Not without more training, Sam. The result of that was made clear during our last encounter with them.”</p><p>The girls were overtaken by pity for them. It appeared the boys were now little more than fugitives. They didn’t know much about devils, but they felt it was safe to assume they were dangerous. Mika specifically was worried that the boys would create chaos should they get into town. After all, they didn’t seem to realize it was illegal to break into people’s houses. What else did they not know?</p><p>As Mika started having a flashback, Suzu asked, “Do you guys have crosses or holy water? That works against them, right?”</p><p>Damien shook his head. “They’re not as effective as you’re thinking. Traditionally, the best way to ward them off is by combat or spells. Unfortunately, spells take time to prepare, and we’d have to gather the ingredients.”</p><p>“That sucks.”</p><p>Naomi suggested, “We could get them. What kind of ingredients would you need?”</p><p>Erik answered, “Well, sweet princess… it’s the kind that’s rarely found in the human world.”</p><p>She slumped her shoulders. “Oh.”</p><p>As they talked, Mika was debating whether or not her idea was a good one. Having five guys living with her would be rather unorthodox, even if they weren’t demons. She also had her parents to consider. If they found out she was living with boys, it wouldn’t end well for anyone. Then again, she felt a strong desire to help them that might've outweighed those concerns.</p><p>Her grandfather’s words echoed in her head, <em>“Don’t worry too much about it. You have plenty of time to decide. Besides, you should do what makes you happy as well.”</em></p><p>Clenching her hands and summoning her courage, she spoke up. “Well, um… you could…”</p><p>Erik smiled at her. “What was that, lovely lady?”</p><p>She continued to stammer. “That is, uh…”</p><p>Sam was growing impatient. “Spit it out already!”</p><p>“You could stay with me here, if you’d like.”</p><p>The room became still at her offer. It was difficult for her to tell what the incubi were thinking, but the shock was evident on the faces of her friends. She couldn’t really blame them. Even she was a bit surprised at herself.</p><p>The silence was deafening and she felt the need to keep talking. “It seemed like you all needed a place to stay, and, well, I just moved into this giant house and Suzu and Naomi won’t be able to live here, so it seemed like it made sense. If you would like to stay here, though, there are two things I need you all to follow.”</p><p>“Yes?” asked James with a hint of eagerness in his voice.</p><p>“First of all, you can’t use your powers or deliberately do something that might harm me, my friends, or any other guest that comes over. Well, save for enemies, but you get the drift.”</p><p>“That sounds reasonable,” said Damien.</p><p>Suzu asked, “Does Lisette count as an enemy?”</p><p>“Suzu!” exclaimed Naomi.</p><p>Mika clarified, “I mean enemies that might hurt us, Suzu. Not just people we don’t like.”</p><p>Suzu shrugged. “Just wanted to check.”</p><p>Mika continued to the next rule. “Second, you have to help me with errands around the house. This place is kind of big, so… yeah.”</p><p>“That is a generous offer, Miss,” said James, “Are you sure that would be okay? We don’t wish to burden you and your friends any more than we already have.”</p><p>Mika smiled. “It’s alright, really! I mean, I just started living here myself so I would appreciate some help around the house.”</p><p>“A wonderful idea!” Erik exclaimed. “We’ll live here and train while helping you with the house! Servants for the lovely princess!</p><p>Sam practically yelled, “What?! Are you serious?!”</p><p>Matthew shushed him. “Be quiet Sam! I haven’t slept in a bed for days!”</p><p>Naomi’s pity only grew. “Awww.” Damien let out a little chuckle at either his brothers’ antics or Naomi’s reaction.</p><p>Sam gave up. “Gahhh, fine. But we’re not staying here forever. Only until we can beat up that group of punks.”</p><p>James agreed. “I think that is a reasonable time limit for our stay.</p><p>Matthew, ecstatic, did a fist pump. “Yes! This is awesome!”</p><p>“Also, beautiful, if you need a bed fellow…” Erik began.</p><p>Suzu didn’t let him finish. “Dude, don’t be creepy.”</p><p>Naomi cleared her throat. “There’s just one problem. What are we going to tell your parents, Mika? I mean, they’re going to come over at some point.”</p><p>Mika sheepishly admitted, “I haven’t really figured that part out yet.”</p><p>James offered a solution. “I think Erik put it best earlier.”</p><p>Matthew raised an eyebrow. “We’re her… bed fellows?”</p><p>“What? No! He called us her servants. Remember?”</p><p>“Oh yeah… I forgot.”</p><p>Suzu pondered the idea for a moment. “That might actually work. Your parents haven’t been over for a long time, right? For all they know, your grandpa did have servants.”</p><p>Mika smiled despite the reminder of the rift between her grandfather and father. “Yep. I’ll also tell my parents that I let them wear casual clothes. My dad wouldn’t agree with it, but it’s something I would actually do.”</p><p>“So, what are we waiting for?!” asked Matthew. “Let’s celebrate and dig in!”</p><p>Sam’s bad mood was forgotten as he turned his attention to the table. “Finally! I’m starving!”</p><p>As Sam and Matthew began to stuff themselves with food, Suzu surveyed the table. She did see some spicy food, but would it be spicy enough? She got up and half jogged to the kitchen. The others barely noticed her leave as they observed Sam and Matthew scarfing down food.</p><p>James' eye twitched at the sight. “Really you two?! You’re acting like pigs!”</p><p>Erik calmly defended his brothers. “Oh, let them have a little freedom, James. It’s not like we’ve eaten recently either. I’m sure they’ve been starving.”</p><p>Mika couldn’t help but see James and Erik as the parental figures of the group. James was like that strict parent who, while not suffocating, wanted his kids to follow the rules in and out of the house. Erik was like the laid-back parent who didn’t mind if his kids had bad manners every now and then. It wasn’t like her parents where her father had her on a tight leash while her mother desperately tried to let her have some fun. The care they had for their brothers, but in their own way, was rather endearing.</p><p>“Still, that’s no excuse for stuffing their faces like backyard swine!” James insisted.</p><p>It took a lot of effort, but Mika managed to hold in her laughter. Whereas laughing at the situation would make James uneasy, no one’s feelings would be hurt if she kept her mouth shut. She concentrated on getting food for herself instead.</p><p>Beside her, Naomi observed the boys’ manners. Growing up with Suzu, questionable table manners didn’t bother her. In fact, watching them feast like that reminded her of that scene in <em>The Spongebob Squarepants Movie</em> where Spongebob and Patrick kept shoveling sundaes into their mouths. She knew she shouldn’t laugh, but she couldn’t help it. Luckily, she kept herself from howling with laughter and was just giggling loudly. However, it was loud enough for everyone to hear.</p><p>Matthew still had lasagna in his mouth when he asked, “Is something funny?”</p><p>Sam also had a mouthful of food. “What are you laughing at?”</p><p>She managed to say between giggles, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh, but you’re so funny.”</p><p>Sam swallowed before exclaiming, “Sh-shut up! We’re not funny! We’re hungry!”</p><p>Naomi stopped giggling. She didn’t want to offend anyone, and she found being told to ‘shut up’ to be very hurtful. She looked down at her empty plate in shame. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>Matthew had also swallowed and was smiling brightly. “Don’t be! We’re glad to have made you laugh!”</p><p>She timidly looked toward Matthew and offered a tiny smile. He looked like he meant it and not like he had just said that to make her feel better. She figured now was a good time to start eating.</p><p>Erik gestured to Naomi. “See, James? It’s entertainment for her!”</p><p>James didn’t look very pleased, but he didn’t say anything. He just sighed and began collecting pieces of food.</p><p>Suzu practically skipped into the dining room and back to her seat. She was holding what her friends recognized as a bottle of hot sauce. Without acknowledging anyone, she grabbed a big slice of chicken and poured an ample amount of sauce on it. The boys stared in awe at her, but Mika and Naomi were too used to it to offer more than a glance or an eye roll.</p><p>Matthew said to Naomi, “Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said she likes spicy food.”</p><p>Suzu speared a piece of chicken with her fork and brought it up to her mouth. The hot sauce was in serious danger of falling off the chicken and back to her plate, but she had the food in her mouth before that happened. The boys watched as she ate the piece without any issue.</p><p>As she stuck her fork into another piece, she noticed everyone but her two friends watching her. “What? I practically live off hot spices.”</p><p>Mika spoke, entertained by the boys’ stunned faces. “It’s true. She’s been eating hot sauce since we were in first grade.”</p><p>Naomi said, “I still don’t know how she does it.”</p><p>Suzu continued eating. “You can barely handle salt, Patterson.”</p><p>“What did I tell you about using my last name?”</p><p>She smirked. “You know it’s part of my charm.”</p><p>Sam asked, “Okay, I’m curious. Can I try some hot sauce?”</p><p>“Knock yourself out.”</p><p>He grabbed the bottle and dabbed some on one of his BBQ ribs. It wasn’t nearly as much as Suzu put on her chicken, but it wasn’t a small amount either. He took a bite of his hot sauce laced ribs and was able to keep it in his mouth for a few seconds before quickly swallowing. He began to pant like a dog and reached for a glass of water. To rub salt into his wounded ego, Suzu took the bottle back and poured a smidge of sauce right onto her tongue.</p><p>He took a swig of water but grimaced like he got a spoonful of bad tasting medicine. “Why isn’t it helping?!”</p><p>Naomi explained, “You need milk, not water.”</p><p>He rushed to the kitchen as Suzu asked, “Any more challengers?” When no one volunteered, she simply grabbed a bread roll, “Lame.”</p><p>Once Sam’s mouth was no longer on fire, they were all able to converse while. Most of the conversation consisted was spent explaining to the incubi what school was like. However, their peace was interrupted by Mika’s ringtone.</p><p>“Huh?” She took her phone out of her pocket and looked at the screen. “It’s my mom. Excuse me.”</p><p>Suzu gave a salute as Naomi requested, “Tell her we say hi!”</p><p>She answered the phone, “Hello?”</p><p>Predictably, it was her mom’s voice that greeted her. “Hey, Honey! How are you? I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you off.”</p><p>“Hi, Mom. Everything’s fine. We’re actually eating right now. Suzu and Naomi say hi by the way.”</p><p>“Oh! Good, good. So there was food there. Well, your father wanted me to call and talk to you about having a house party tomorrow night, to celebrate the new house and all."</p><p>“So soon?”</p><p>“Your father insists… You know how he is with events.”</p><p>She did. “I know. Well, since I don’t exactly have you two here to help me arrange it, I’m going to need some time to prepare things.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s fine. I mean, Suzu and Naomi can help. I have work and you know how your father is.”</p><p>“I know. I have to do it myself. He won’t help.”</p><p>“I’m sure it’ll be amazing, Honey. I have faith in you.”</p><p>“Thanks, Mom.”</p><p>“Alright, I gotta go. I love you, Sweetie.”</p><p>“I love you too, Mom.” She hung up, and finally noticed how everyone was looking at her.</p><p>“What’s going on?” asked Naomi.</p><p>Damien correctly answered, “She has to organize a house party for her parents.”</p><p>Mika stared at him with wide eyes. “How did- Oh right. Mind reading. But yeah. I gotta do it soon or my parents will be really disappointed. I’ll have to stay up and organize everything tonight.”</p><p>“Tonight?” said Suzu, “When is this party?”</p><p>“Tomorrow night.”</p><p>Matthew piped up. “Hey, why don’t we help you? That’s what we’re here for right?”</p><p>James smiled. “I don’t see why not.”</p><p>Sam mumbled, “I can name a few reasons why we shouldn’t.”</p><p>“Oh really?” said Suzu, “Because I can name many reasons why you should.”</p><p>Sam raised an eyebrow at her as James reassured Mika. “We’ll take care of everything, Miss. Just leave everything to us.”</p><p>Mika chuckled. “Thanks, but I should help too. It’s my party after all.”</p><p>Naomi looked ready to start the preparations right then. “Don’t forget about us!”</p><p>“Yeah,” said Suzu, “What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t help out?”</p><p>Mika couldn’t help but be touched. “Believe it or not, my mom actually volunteered you guys, but you don’t have to spend your Saturday working. Wasn’t there a new game at the arcade you wanted to try tomorrow, Suzu?”</p><p>Matthew looked like he was about to explode from happiness. “There’s an arcade?!” While he was trying to hide it, Sam also looked intrigued by the new information.</p><p>Suzu wasn’t fazed by Matthew’s outburst. “The game will be there Sunday. This is way more important.”</p><p>Mika put a hand over her heart. “Thanks guys.”</p><p>Naomi got out of her seat and hugged Mika. “That’s what friends are for.”</p><p>She looked at the incubi. “And of course, thank you all for helping.”</p><p>James bowed his head. “It’s our pleasure.”</p><p>Suzu took out her own phone to check the time. “Oh crap! The movie’s going to start any minute!”</p><p>Mika became lost at her statement. “What movie?”</p><p>Naomi answered, “While you were asleep, we were channel surfing and saw that a station was going to play an old Godzilla movie tonight. Suzu wants to see it.”</p><p>Mika smiled. “That sounds like a good idea. Did anyone see any popcorn while they were in the kitchen?”</p><p>“Cabinet to the right of the fridge,” said Matthew.</p><p>Suzu stood and took each of her friends by the arm. “Come on?!” she exclaimed with a smile, “Let’s hurry!”</p><p>As she began dragging her friends to the kitchen, Mika dug her heels on the floor in an effort to slow her friend down. There were still some things the boys had to know. “There should be some guest rooms on the other side of the house from the master bedroom. We’ll start party planning tomorrow.”</p><p>Erik waved at them. “Have a good night~”</p><p>“Thanks,” Naomi replied as Suzu finally got her friends out of the room, “You too!”</p><p>There was a long pause before James looked at Erik with pure disappointment. “Erik… no…”</p><p>“What?” He defended, “I wasn’t going to do anything!”</p><p>Damien revealed the truth. “Yes, he was.”</p><p>“Shh!”</p><hr/><p>The girls returned to the master bedroom with a large bowl of popcorn. They were already a little late, but not enough where they’d be lost throughout the movie. As Mika closed the door behind them, Suzu fetched the remote. That’s when she noticed the stuffed animal.</p><p>“I gotta admit, Patterson, it’s kinda cute that you tucked in your doll.”</p><p>Naomi, having taken her nightgown out of her bag, turned toward the bed to see that Suzu was right. Her stuffed animal was resting its head on the pillows and the blankets were pulled up to his chin. She could’ve sworn she set him on the nightstand.</p><p>Mika put the bowl of popcorn on the bed before going to search for her pajamas. “The boys seem rather nice. It’ll be cool to have them around for a while. Even if the circumstances are a bit strange.”</p><p>Naomi slipped her nightgown on as she answered, “I like them. Most of them are very considerate and they’re very funny.”</p><p>Suzu turned on the TV. “Erik can be a bit… in your face, but I don’t think he really means anything by it.”</p><p>“Yeah,” said Mika, “He seems nice otherwise. Maybe guys can get away with being so flirty in… wherever they’re from.”</p><p>Naomi got under the covers on the side of the bed closest to the door. She gently pulled her doll out from under the blanket and sat it on her lap so it was facing the TV. “It was very sweet of Matthew to make us a doll. I’m still trying to decide on a name for him.”</p><p>Mika slipped her pajama top and bottoms on before sitting next to Naomi. “How about… Simon Tabby?”</p><p>Suzu removed her jacket without taking her eyes off the screen. “Simon Tabby?”</p><p>“Doesn’t he look like a Simon?”</p><p>Naomi gazed at the doll in her lap. “I like that name. Simon Tabby it is!”</p><p>Suzu would have gone for something cooler, but she knew Naomi would never approve of a name like ‘Death Metal Rodent’ or ‘Wicked Destroyer of All Things.’ She wasn’t willing for Matthew to make another creepy doll so she could name something though. “Matthew reminds me of Francesca when she’s high on sugar.”</p><p>Mika considered the comparison. “I can see that. The only boy I have reservations about is Sam.”</p><p>Suzu chortled as she sat on Mika’s other side in her tank top and shorts. “Don’t even get me started on him. I’m keeping my eye on him tomorrow to make sure there’s no more funny business.”</p><p>“You really think you can stop him from doing what he wants?”</p><p>“You saw me tackle him earlier.” She grabbed a piece of popcorn and threw it straight up into the air. She successfully caught it in her mouth.</p><p>As good as that point was, Mika couldn’t help but remember Sam’s powers. Suzu was lucky Sam didn’t realize she was there when he kissed Mika. She didn’t stand much of a chance against him otherwise. His brothers seemed like they were the only ones who could truly control him. Rather than voice her thoughts, Mika just started eating popcorn and turned her attention to the movie. Sam was a jerk, but she doubted he would hurt Suzu.</p><hr/><p>About halfway through the movie, Naomi had dozed off while sitting against the headboard, still holding Simon on her lap. The empty popcorn bowl had been set aside on the nightstand. Mika and Suzu chatted as they watched.</p><p>Suzu commented, “If giant monsters attacked Chicago, I’d go underground somewhere. It’s not like a wall’s going to protect me when these things can knock over buildings like they're bowling pins.”</p><p>“Yeah, but what if debris blocks the exit? I’d be trapped, and unless the cell towers were still standing, no one would be able to find me until all of the rubble’s cleaned up.” Mika looked at the alarm clock and sighed. “It’s late. My dad would want me to study a little before falling asleep.”</p><p>“Well, your dad’s not here, and you’re not studying during a sleepover. Not on my watch.”</p><p>“I figured you’d say that. You’re probably going to be the last one to fall asleep, so make sure to turn the TV off.” She was about to lie down when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. At first, she didn’t pay it much mind, figuring Naomi was just moving in her sleep, but once she realized it wasn’t her friend, she focused on it. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she took in the sight before her. “Suzu…”</p><p>“Yeah?” she replied without looking away from the screen.</p><p>“Simon’s alive.”</p><p>Suzu snickered. “Man, you really are tired.” She looked over at the doll, only for her mouth to drop open.</p><p>Sure enough, Simon was attempting to pull the covers up higher, but they wouldn’t budge. He was getting visibly frustrated at his failure, not realizing that Suzu was still on top of all the sheets. After one long tug, they heard him make a noise of disappointment.</p><p>Mika gently shook Naomi’s shoulder as Suzu whispered, “Patterson, wake up!”</p><p>Naomi opened her eyes, still a bit groggy. “What?”</p><p>She felt something move on her lap, and she looked down to see Simon refusing to give up on his goal. She directed a little smile at him before letting her eyes droop shut again. It took a few seconds, but her tired mind finally caught up to what was happening.</p><p>Her eyes shot open, and she lifted her doll up so that they were looking at each other. “Simon?!”</p><p>He laughed, bringing the knifeless paw up to his mouth as he did so.</p><p>The girls simply sat there, unsure of how to handle this revelation. They had only found out that day that incubi existed, as did magic in general. To see a living stuffed animal may not have been the most shocking thing to happen that day, but it wasn’t easy to take in either.</p><p>Mika pointed out, “Well, he was created using magic, right? Since he didn’t come out of Matthew’s pocket the way he was expecting, it’s not too far of a stretch that Matthew accidentally made him conscious.”</p><p>“I guess,” said Suzu, “but it’s still… weird. Are we sure it’s not possessed and that it won’t stab us in our sleep?”</p><p>Naomi poked him in the belly. He laughed again as if he had been tickled. She smiled. “I think he’s safe.”</p><p>“You sure? I’ve seen <em>Child’s Play</em>.”</p><p>“I can’t see Matthew giving us anything dangerous. And even if he wanted to stab us, Simon’s knife is made of plastic.”</p><p>Mika had to agree. “We left him alone for a long time earlier, but he didn’t take advantage of that.”</p><p>Suzu grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. “I’ve had enough surprises today. I’m going to sleep before there’s any more.” She got under the covers. “Night, guys.”</p><p>Mika smiled as she closed her eyes. “Goodnight.”</p><p>Hugging Simon close to her, Naomi pulled the blankets up so they were both covered. “Sweet dreams, everyone.” She kissed the top of Simon’s head, and he responded by snuggling up closer to her.</p><p>After the long day they had, it didn’t take much time for them to fall asleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>To be fair, if I'd been through as much as they had in a day, I'd want a break from everything too.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Saturday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A lot's going on in this chapter! A little fun fact, this is the first chapter I've posted for any story that has over 9,000 words!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mika transitioned from Erik holding her in her nightmare to someone else holding her in real life. “D-Damien!”</p>
<p>Her exclamation coupled with Damien’s presence, caused Suzu to suddenly awaken and roll off the bed with a yell of surprise. Damien released Mika to help Suzu back up onto the mattress. His eyes were filled with concern, and Mika knew it was for both of them. He had no doubt seen her nightmare, but why did her subconscious think Erik was holding her?</p>
<p>“You can’t control your dreams,” he answered.</p>
<p>“What?” asked Suzu.</p>
<p>“He means me,” Mika explained, “I had a nightmare.”</p>
<p>Ever since they were little, Mika had the ability to have very vivid dreams. Whereas Suzu and Naomi forgot most of their dreams in a few minutes, Mika could remember little details long after she’d woken up. It was both a gift and a curse. Her friends knew this, and have had to comfort her after a nightmare before.</p>
<p>“Damn, Anderson, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”</p>
<p>Mika offered a reassuring smile. “I’m fine.” She noticed someone was missing. “Where’s Naomi?”</p>
<p>Damien answered again, “She’s downstairs. She was helping James and me make breakfast when I… well…”</p>
<p>“You can’t control your mind reading?”</p>
<p>“No. Not yet at least. I hope to learn eventually, though.”</p>
<p>Both girls nodded in understanding. As cool as they thought his powers were, they had to admit that there were probably thoughts that are best not to overhear. Listening to so many thoughts at the same time would probably be overwhelming too, like constantly being in a crowded room filled with conversations.</p>
<p>There was a knock at the door before James stepped in, looking worried. “Is everything alright?”</p>
<p>Suzu responded, “Yeah, we’re all good.”</p>
<p>“That’s good. I’m assuming one of you had a nightmare?”</p>
<p>Mika admitted, “Yeah, it was me. I’m sorry for disturbing everyone.”</p>
<p>James smiled at her. “You didn’t disturb us, Miss. Besides, we’d rather make sure you’re okay before anything.”</p>
<p>“Th-thank you.”</p>
<p>“Now, why don’t you two come downstairs with us and have some breakfast. I’m sure some nice food will take your mind off of what you dreamt of.”</p>
<p>Mika couldn’t help but be a little embarrassed at being the damsel in distress, but she was touched that the boys cared for her that much. She hoped it was out of sincerity and not courtesy. If only she could read their minds…</p>
<p>She nodded. “Sure. We’ll change and meet you downstairs.”</p>
<p>James and Damien left the bedroom, closing the door behind them. Mika and Suzu immediately began getting ready, but they chatted as they changed.</p>
<p>“Dude,” Suzu said, “James is totally crushing on you!”</p>
<p>“What?!” She felt herself blush a little. “No, he isn’t!”</p>
<p>“His eyes were on you the entire time. He didn’t even glance at me!”</p>
<p>Mika wracked her memory, searching for a moment when James had his eyes on Suzu. She couldn’t find one. “That doesn’t mean anything! He could’ve just been really worried about my nightmare.”</p>
<p>“Relax, Anderson. There are way worse guys that could fall for you. And for you to fall for too.”</p>
<p>“We just met yesterday, Suzu!”</p>
<p>“Time is an illusion.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>When they got to the dining room, Mika sat down at the head of the table while Suzu went to the kitchen to get something to drink. The nightmare kept on replaying in her head. The memory of being in danger and having no control of the situation gave her goosebumps. She desperately wanted to know who this Malix person was, and why she dreamt of him. Was it someone she had met in real life that only her subconscious remembered?</p>
<p>A hand on her head interrupted her thoughts. “Morning,” Sam said, “You alright?”</p>
<p>“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.”</p>
<p>He raised an eyebrow at her before rustling her hair. As he removed his hand from her head, Suzu walked in with a glass of orange juice. The air grew tense as she and Sam stared at each other. Mika continued to sit as the situation grew more awkward with each passing second. She couldn’t tell if this felt more like the beginning of a duel between gunslingers or a couple giving each other the silent treatment. Whichever one it was, she still felt the need to get out of the way.</p>
<p>“Yo,” Suzu finally greeted.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he responded.</p>
<p>Eventually, they both quit their staring contest and sat down. Mika watched as they each took a seat without further acknowledgement of the other. She relaxed now that the room was once again harmonious. However, the peace didn’t last for long.</p>
<p>Sam screamed towards the kitchen, “HEY! IS THE FOOD DONE YET?! I’M STARVING!”</p>
<p>They heard James bark back, “There’s no need to yell, Sam!”</p>
<p>“YOU’RE YELLING TOO!”</p>
<p>“Don’t argue with me!”</p>
<p>Erik appeared from behind Mika, rubbing his temples. “Can we not yell this early in the morning. It’s not like we’re in the castle.”</p>
<p>“Castle?!” Mika exclaimed. Suzu choked a little on her orange juice at his statement, sputtering out what hadn’t gone down her throat. She set her glass down and wiped away some juice that got on her chin.</p>
<p>Sam smirked at their reactions. “Yeah, we got a castle back home. Our dining room is ten times bigger than this one.”</p>
<p>Erik pointed out, “Then wouldn’t it be logical to not yell?”</p>
<p>“Pff. Whatever.”</p>
<p>James, Damien, and Naomi entered the dining room with plates of bacon, eggs, and waffles. Naomi was fully dressed and her friends could tell she had a good night’s sleep. After setting her plates down, she sat next to Mika, a huge smile on her face. Damien also took a seat at the table. He seemed happy too, but his grin suggested that it wasn't just because he was content. It looked as if he was thinking about something funny.</p>
<p>James looked around the dining room. “Where’s Matthew?”</p>
<p>He barely got his sentence out before they heard a terrified scream and the sound of running feet from upstairs. Most of them weren’t sure what to make of it, but Damien began chuckling to himself.</p>
<p>Matthew barged into the room and hid behind James. “It’s after me!”</p>
<p>Sam stood up, ready to fight. “What is?! A devil?!”</p>
<p>Everyone heard a high-pitched laugh coming from the lobby. A few seconds later, Simon pitter-pattered into the room, looking cheery. The girls relaxed upon seeing him. Given Matthew’s reaction, they thought his opponent would be something a lot worse.</p>
<p>Naomi got up and went over to him. “Hi, Simon! I was wondering where you were!”</p>
<p>Matthew stepped out from behind his brother. “You named that thing?!”</p>
<p>She picked up her doll and put him on her shoulder. He used his empty paw to grip onto her hair. “Technically, Mika named him. His full name is Simon Tabby.”</p>
<p>Sam sat back down as Matthew continued to stare incredulously at Naomi and the toy balancing on her shoulder. “W-what was he doing in the hall?!”</p>
<p>“Oh! He seemed bored this morning and didn’t feel like turning back inanimate, so I figured I’d let him explore a bit while I helped make breakfast.” She said to Mika, “I hope that’s okay!”</p>
<p>She answered, “He can do that as long as he doesn’t break anything.”</p>
<p>Naomi directed her next words to Simon, “Try not to scare Matthew, okay? If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t be here, after all.”</p>
<p>He didn’t seem focused on what she was telling him. His red eyes were solely fixed on the food on the table.</p>
<p>James directed Matthew to an empty chair. “Come on. We better get eating. We have a long day ahead of us.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Breakfast had gone smoothly. Simon stayed on Naomi’s shoulder until he decided that he had had enough pieces of waffles and wanted to go exploring again. James had given the girls another opportunity to spend the day doing something more fun, but they declined. Now that all of the dishes were cleaned and put away, it was time to get to planning.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long to divide up the chores. Naomi and Matthew immediately called making snacks in the kitchen. Damien would handle the lobby while Erik cleaned the dining room nearby. James decided to work on the garden, and Mika offered to help him. That left Sam and Suzu to work on the front lawn.</p>
<p>Suzu had to text her parents to let them know about the party that night, so she got outside a couple minutes after Sam did. Rather than preparing to clean like she expected, he was doing some slow arm and leg movements that kind of reminded her of Mika’s taekwondo competitions.</p>
<p>“Okay,” she said, “let’s get to work.”</p>
<p>He didn’t even falter in his ministrations. “I’m done.”</p>
<p>“Excuse me?”</p>
<p>“You were taking too long, so I went ahead and did it myself.”</p>
<p>Suzu studied the front yard to see that Sam wasn’t lying. The windows were shining, the weeds were pulled, the gutters were cleared out, and heck, even the second story seemed like it had been cleaned.</p>
<p>“So you’re telling me that you complained about having to do work last night, but you can do all of this in literally two minutes?”</p>
<p>“It’s still the same amount of work, even if it’s done faster. You can go back inside now.”</p>
<p>As tempting as it was, Suzu hadn’t forgotten why she volunteered to help Sam in the first place. The plan she had laid out the night before to her friends was still in effect. She leaned against a tree and cracked her knuckles. “Nah.”</p>
<p>“I thought you wanted to help out.”</p>
<p>“I am. I’m keeping an eye on you.”</p>
<p>He stopped and glared at her. “Geez, I already said I was sorry!”</p>
<p>“Just because you said you were sorry doesn’t mean you A) actually meant it or B) you won’t do it again. So, I’ll babysit you until I know you’re not a danger to my friends.”</p>
<p>With a huff, he went back to what he was doing earlier. Suzu watched him curiously, swearing she’d seen moves like that somewhere. She wasn’t a martial arts master, but she could tell this wasn’t taekwondo. Whereas Mika’s taekwondo competitions displayed fast, precise punches and kicks, Sam’s movements were slow and fluid. He almost looked like he was dancing. Whatever this fighting style was, she couldn’t deny that it looked cool. A few minutes in, she checked to make sure nobody was watching before going to stand next to him.</p>
<p>She began to copy his movements, feeling a bit like a kung fu warrior. Most of what she thought and felt took a backseat as Suzu solely concentrated on recreating Sam’s poses. It could’ve just been in her head, but it seemed like he was going slower and slower as the minutes ticked by, helping her out.</p>
<p>He groaned in annoyance before stopping and standing normally. “You’re not doing it right.”</p>
<p>Suzu shrugged. “I’m in the ballpark of what you’re doing. Just because I probably got certain angles wrong-”</p>
<p>“It’s not that, it’s…” He took a few steps towards her. “Let me show you.”</p>
<p>She backed away, glaring at him. “Woah, what are you doing?”</p>
<p>He sighed. “Look, I wanna help you. And it would be easier if I stood behind you and moved your arms.”</p>
<p>She crossed her arms as if to deny access to them.</p>
<p>“Tell you what. If I do anything… pervy, you can tell Mika to kick me out of the mansion. Happy?”</p>
<p>Suzu uncrossed her arms. As much as Sam complained about the work he’d have to do while living here, he knew leaving meant danger, and she doubted he would be happy about being separated from his brothers. Doing anything to put his stay in jeopardy seemed unlikely. Still, she needed a bit more assurance.</p>
<p>“If that were to happen, can I kick you in the dick before you go?”</p>
<p>For a moment, his eyes betrayed how freaked out he was by her question, but he ended up nonchalantly agreeing to it. “Sure. Whatever makes you happy, Dingus.”</p>
<p>Satisfied, she returned to her spot. “Okay. What do I do?”</p>
<p>He walked behind her and rested his arms over hers. “Tai chi has two purposes. The first is to practice fighting, but the second, and arguably most important, is to relax. So… close your eyes and take some deep breaths.”</p>
<p>She did as she was told, trying her best to release the tension she felt. It wasn’t easy when she was arm to arm with a guy she didn’t exactly care for, but she eventually calmed down enough to where Sam must’ve felt like they could continue.</p>
<p>“Don’t pay so much attention to the poses. Let me worry about that right now. Instead, focus on breathing with me. There are certain movements that either require an inhale or an exhale. Got it?”</p>
<p>“Got it.”</p>
<p>Sam made his breathing more audible, but Suzu found that feeling him breathe behind her was more helpful than hearing it. Slowly, he moved their arms around. It was a bit awkward at first, but they were eventually able to maneuver in a manner that an onlooker would think they had rehearsed beforehand. Suzu found herself relaxing even more, and she was able to think much more clearly than she usually did.</p>
<p>After an unknown amount of time, her thoughts turned to the boy behind her. She had been confident that she could defend herself against him if need be. The more she thought about him, though, the less likely it seemed that she could beat him in a fight. Suzu had known he had muscles, but wasn’t able to fully appreciate them until they were touching her own arms. She could effortlessly feel the outline of his biceps. If Damien was able to carry two people at once, who knew how many people Sam could hold. Add that to his incubus powers and the fact that he knew tai chi, and Suzu wouldn’t stand a chance against him. The realization made her a bit puzzled about something.</p>
<p>“Quick question,” she said as she turned around to face him.</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“You’ve been trained to fight and have demon powers, so how come you didn’t stop me from beating the crap out of you yesterday?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “To be honest, you caught me off guard. And no one’s ever taught me what to do when someone’s beating you over the head with a backpack.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I guess that makes sense.”</p>
<p>He smiled. “Besides, you weren’t really much of a threat, even if you are stronger than you look.”</p>
<p>“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”</p>
<p>“Good. It was supposed to be one.” There were a few moments of awkward silence where neither could bring themselves to look at the other. “So… did you want to continue?”</p>
<p>Suzu didn’t say anything, but simply turned around and held her arms out as a silent invitation. Sam put his arms back where they were and they began again.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Matthew had decided on making strawberry cupcakes for the party and was cutting strawberries to use as top pieces. Naomi was in the process of making devilled eggs, but was trying to think of other recipes while the eggs boiled.</p>
<p>She opened the fridge and freezer. “I’d make some grilled shrimp, but I don’t think there’s a grill here. We could make fried cheese sticks, but I don’t want to get in the way of your cupcakes.”</p>
<p>“Once I’m done with these strawberries, it shouldn’t take long to make the batter. Then you can use the oven as much as you want!”</p>
<p>“Okay. I think I’ll make fruit kabobs in the meantime.” As she gathered all of the fruits she planned to chop up and skewer, she could barely hear Matthew humming to himself. She instantly recognized it as Mika’s ringtone. Months ago, Mika had discovered the song and had shown it to her and Suzu. While Naomi didn’t fall in love with the song enough to make it her ringtone, it was saved in her phone’s music library.</p>
<p>The timer beeped, letting her know to take the eggs off the stove and transfer them to the bowl of ice water. Matthew finished cutting the strawberries and dumped all of the leaves into the trash, still humming. Naomi, who was used to cooking alone, found herself wanting to make conversation with him. He had even provided her an easy topic to start with.</p>
<p>“So,” she said, “you like ‘Chained the Monster?’”</p>
<p>He had been measuring sugar, but stopped at her question. He looked over his shoulder at her. “’Chained the Monster?’”</p>
<p>“Mika’s ringtone. You’ve been humming it.</p>
<p>“Oh yeah! It’s really catchy. I’ve been looking for the song all night because I got it stuck in my head, but I didn’t catch enough of the lyrics to find it.”</p>
<p>She took out her phone. “If you want to listen to it, I have it on my phone.”</p>
<p>His face lit up. “Really? Thanks, I’d like that!”</p>
<p>She pressed play and the opening notes of the song echoed throughout the kitchen. It would be interesting to see how music would affect her cooking. She heard that certain genres could help when performing tasks, Mozart being the most popular. The usual white noise she had to deal with was a TV or chatting from another room.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long before the music was joined by the sound of dancing feet. She looked in Matthew’s direction to see him not only tapping his feet, but nodding his head and moving his entire body in general as he worked. As long as he continued to bake, Naomi didn’t see much of an issue. It’d also probably be a bit inconsiderate to ask him to stop when she was the one who offered the music in the first place. Naomi continued to work on her own in silence until the end of the song. Matthew had danced over to the oven by that time, and was making his way back over to his spot when the next song on shuffle started.</p>
<p>Naomi saw him stop in his tracks out of the corner of her eye. He exclaimed, “Is this ‘Moves like Jagger?!’”</p>
<p>She giggled at his reaction. “Uh huh. It’s one of my favorite songs!”</p>
<p>“Awesome, then you know the lyrics too!” Before she could question him as to what he meant by that, he snatched a spatula and sang into it like it was a microphone. While he didn’t sound anything like a professional singer, his voice wasn’t too bad. He even knew all of the lyrics, like she did.</p>
<p>As odd as it was to see someone singing and dancing in a kitchen, Naomi couldn’t deny that Matthew looked happy, and darn was his smile contagious! Before she realized it, her foot had developed a mind of its own, tapping on the linoleum in time with the rhythm. Matthew must’ve noticed, because he was silently signaling her to join him.</p>
<p>Well, it did look fun…</p>
<p>Naomi grabbed a ladle to use as her microphone and began singing the chorus with him. She had about as much vocal talent as Matthew, but that wasn’t going to slow her down now that she’s come this far. They stood back to back as they sang the last line of the chorus before the next verse.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Sometime later, Suzu had noticeably relaxed even more. Sam had too, if his looser muscles and calmer breathing were any indicators. It undoubtedly felt nice not having to occupy herself with anything but what she was doing right now. At that moment, there was nothing to do or worry about. This was something she wouldn't mind doing again at some point. She should probably find some online tai chi lessons or ask Sam for pointers.</p>
<p>She snapped her eyes open at the sound of Mika clearing her throat. Sam and Suzu froze before jumping away from each other as if they had been shocked by electricity. Suzu spun around to see Mika and James with watering cans. Mika had questions forming in her mind, but didn’t know how to ask them.</p>
<p>James, in contrast, acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. “Sorry for bothering you. Mika and I had just finished with the garden, and I figured you two had finished the front.”</p>
<p>Sam didn’t answer, opting to stare off into space. Suzu went ahead and did the talking. “Yeah, we did. Well… Sam finished it. I didn’t do anything…”</p>
<p>James nodded in understanding. “My brother’s been gifted with speed. I’d be surprised if he hadn’t done most or all of the job.”</p>
<p>Mika looked between James and Sam in surprise. Not only did Damien have telepathy, but Sam had super speed? Who else had super powers?! A few feet away, seeing Mika reminded Suzu that she had offered to help prepare for the party, and watching Sam didn’t seem helpful anymore. She felt awful, like she had abandoned her friend.</p>
<p>“Sorry, Mika,” she said, “I should really do some chores. Have you cleaned the gazebo yet?”</p>
<p>“No,” she replied after getting over her shock. “Did you want to?”</p>
<p>“Yeah!” she responded a bit too quickly. “Ahem, I mean… Sure, I’ll do it.” She was about to go back inside when she mumbled to Sam, “Thanks for the tai chi lesson.”</p>
<p>He nodded, staring at the sky. Suzu rushed inside as fast as her feet would let her. It reminded Mika of how she’s always the first one out the door once class ended. She would’ve smiled at the thought if her friend wasn’t so visibly uncomfortable.</p>
<p>James addressed his brother, “Are you alright, Sam?”</p>
<p>He didn’t bother looking away from the clouds. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”</p>
<p>“You’re awfully stiff for someone who’s been doing tai chi.”</p>
<p>He growled out, “I’m fine.”</p>
<p>Mika shrugged. “Okay. James and I are going to do some more planning. Did you want to come inside?”</p>
<p>Finally, he turned around and made eye contact with them. His face was scrunched up in apparent anger and his entire face was scarlet. “Sure.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Suzu had gathered all of the supplies she needed and was going to the backyard via the dining room. Everything was a lot neater than when she last saw it. Erik did a nice job. He was probably upstairs picking out suits for the incubi by now. As luck would have it, James and Erik had found a bunch of tuxes upstairs that would pass as servant garb.</p>
<p>Suddenly, her ears were able to pick up music coming from the kitchen. Intrigued, she set her supplies on the dining room table and followed the sound. By the time she got to the entryway, she saw Erik peeking inside, a smile plastered on his face.</p>
<p>Approaching him as quietly as she could, she whispered, “What’s going on?”</p>
<p>He chuckled before whispering back, “Take a look for yourself, My Lady.”</p>
<p>Ignoring the nickname, Suzu peeked around Erik and had to clasp a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing.</p>
<p>The cupcakes, devilled eggs, and fruit kabobs were all ready to go, but Matthew and Naomi were still waiting on the cheese sticks and chocolate molten lava cake that were in the oven. In the meantime, they could just focus on dancing. “Chained the Monster” was playing again, her phone having shuffled back to it.</p>
<p>Facing their dance partner, they grabbed each other’s hands and proceeded to alternate pushing and pulling each of their arms as they twisted in place. Suzu couldn’t remember the last time Naomi let herself loose like that. It was genuinely wonderful to see.</p>
<p>Wanting to document the moment, Suzu took out her own phone and began video recording them dancing. She couldn’t wait to show Mika that their friend could release her wild side after all.</p>
<p>As the song came to its close the second time, Matthew twirled Naomi under his arm. They laughed in pure joy as they stopped. Suzu finished recording as Erik stepped out from his hiding spot and applauded. Once her phone was put away, she joined him in applauding by his side.</p>
<p>He exclaimed over his clapping, “Bravo! Bravo! What lovely dancing! So graceful!”</p>
<p>Naomi turned her phone off as Matthew bowed. “I try my best!”</p>
<p>Erik stopped clapping. “I was referring to Her Highness.”</p>
<p>He put a hand to his chest in mock offense. “I’m wounded. Truly.”</p>
<p>Naomi asked Suzu, “Did you and Sam finish the front lawn?”</p>
<p>She replied, “Yeah. I did like, no work, though, so I’m going to freshen up the gazebo.”</p>
<p>Matthew asked in a very hopeful tone, “Are you guys going to be at the party tonight?”</p>
<p>Naomi nodded. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world! Right, Suzu?”</p>
<p>“Totally! We just have to go home and freshen up first. I better get cleaning that gazebo before I have no time to shower.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Once their tasks were finished, Naomi and Suzu were picked up by their mothers. It had been decided before that Naomi would drive her car back while Suzu took her motorcycle. Purposefully early, they arrived about thirty seconds apart. Naomi stepped out of her car wearing a pink, strapless dress with a giant, white bow on the stomach. Suzu dismounted her bike in nice jeans, a white shirt, and a green jacket. She also had on a necklace with a thin silver chain and light blue stone that rested on her chest.</p>
<p>She took off her helmet and tossed it into Naomi’s car through the still open driver’s side door. “I’ve never been to a housewarming party before. What exactly are we supposed to do?”</p>
<p>Naomi closed her door and locked her car. “I think it’s mostly just people talking to each other.”</p>
<p>“So like, no games or movies?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“That’s boring.”</p>
<p>They approached the front door and knocked. A few seconds later, Damien answered the door in a tuxedo. “Hello.”</p>
<p>His brothers were also in tuxes, but their outfits had some other color to go with the traditional black and white. While these differences technically prevented them from being in uniform, none of the guests would question their presence.</p>
<p>“Hi!” greeted Naomi as the girls stepped inside. “You all look really nice!”</p>
<p>“Thanks!” said Matthew. “Do we look like servants?”</p>
<p>Suzu answered, “Could’ve fooled me. Where’s Mika?”</p>
<p>James replied, “She’s still getting ready in her room.”</p>
<p>“Patterson and I will go get her. Knowing her parents, they’ll probably be here any minute.”</p>
<p>Without another word, the girls went to fetch the third member of their trio. When they approached the door, Simon ran down the hallway and hugged Naomi’s leg. Seeing what he wanted, she picked him up.</p>
<p>“Hi, Simon! Did you have fun today?”</p>
<p>He nodded as Suzu knocked on the door. “Hey, Anderson! You almost ready?!”</p>
<p>They heard her uncertain reply from the other side, “I don’t know…”</p>
<p>Figuring out Mika’s problem rather quickly, Naomi encouraged her. “I’m sure you look amazing!”</p>
<p>“Ditto!” said Suzu.</p>
<p>Slowly, the door opened, and their jaws dropped. Mika stood there in her dark velvet dress and pearl necklace, looking completely nervous.</p>
<p>She looked down at herself, trying to see anything wrong. “What?”</p>
<p>Suzu exclaimed, “Dude! You look hot!”</p>
<p>Naomi looked Mika up and down. “Is that a new dress?”</p>
<p>Mika laughed in relief. “No, I’ve had this for a while. I just didn’t have an opportunity to wear it.”</p>
<p>“You look gorgeous! Doesn’t she, Simon?”</p>
<p>The doll in question looked at Mika and shrugged.</p>
<p>“Speaking of Simon,” said Suzu, “where is he going to be during the party?”</p>
<p>Mika and Naomi hadn’t thought about that. If they tried passing him off as a pet, no one would believe he was from Earth. If they tried passing him off as a normal doll, it’d make people wonder why a teenage girl brought a stuffed animal to a formal event. Not to mention, they’d have a hard time wrapping their heads around someone having a doll that looked so demonic.</p>
<p>Mika looked back at her bed. “What if we keep him in here for now? He can either turn back into his doll form or watch TV.”</p>
<p>Naomi agreed. “That’s a great idea! You guys go ahead and go downstairs while I show him how the remote works.”</p>
<p>As Naomi entered the room with Simon, Suzu and Mika began their trek back to the lobby. Once they reached the top of the staircase, they looked down to see the boys lined up by the railing. They really did look like servants, and they were awaiting their princess to join them. Feeling more confident in herself, Mika descended the stairs with as much poise as she could muster. Suzu trailed behind her, feeling proud of her friend.</p>
<p>As Mika reached the last step, James offered his arm to her. “Are you ready for tonight?”</p>
<p>She accepted his arm and stepped off the stairs. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”</p>
<p>Suzu jumped the last step, not really giving any of the boys a chance to offer her their own arm. “You’re going to rock tonight!”</p>
<p>Naomi finally appeared at the top of the stairs. “Simon’s all situated.”</p>
<p>Suzu got the guys’ attention as Naomi came down the stairs. “A couple of things you guys should know. One, Mrs. Anderson is okay. Two, Mr. Anderson’s an asshole.”</p>
<p>“Suzu!” Mika and Naomi chastised.</p>
<p>“Well it’s true!”</p>
<p>Naomi defended, “Mika’s dad may be cold… and inconsiderate… and a poor listener… and has high expectations… but he’s not bad enough to be called… that word.”</p>
<p>At the knock on the door, Mika let go of James’ arm. “That’s probably them now.”</p>
<p>Erik and Sam each grabbed a doorknob and opened the front doors. Sure enough, it was Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, dressed in a suit and dress. As they strolled into the lobby, they took in the sight of the incubi. The girls waited anxiously for their reactions. If the boys were going to stay here, the Andersons had to be okay with it.</p>
<p>“Oh my,” said Mrs. Anderson, “I didn’t know your bequeathment came with servants.”</p>
<p>Mr. Anderson seemed unconcerned. “It was probably overlooked. Besides, who would deny good service?”</p>
<p>Naomi and Suzu sighed in relief. Mika was shocked that her parents were fine with all of this, having thought they would at least ask for IDs. Looking past them, she saw Erik and Sam intensely staring at her parents. They looked focused, and she figured they had something to do with it.</p>
<p>Mr. Anderson continued, “I guess the servants counted as belongings to the house.”</p>
<p>Mrs. Anderson rushed over to Mika and gave her a bone-crushing hug. Mika returned it with just as much enthusiasm, inhaling her mother’s perfume. It may have only been a little over a day, but she missed living under the same roof as her mother. Naomi and Suzu took their opportunity to slip away and stand by the boys.</p>
<p>Her mother let go and observed her outfit. “Gorgeous. You look so lovely. David, look at your daughter and tell her I’m right.”</p>
<p>All eyes were on Mr. Anderson, but he was busy inspecting the lobby. Mika had no idea what her father could possibly be looking for. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen the place, and Damien had done a thorough job tidying up.</p>
<p>When he finally fulfilled his wife’s request and looked at his daughter, a smile graced his lips. “Your mother’s right. You look like you’re all grown up.”</p>
<p>Mika was completely dumbstruck at her father’s words. She had expected some sort of criticism, like a hair being out of place or her dress being a bit wrinkled. She wondered if one of the incubi used their powers to get that compliment.</p>
<p>Well, if they were, she was taking advantage of the tiny moment they provided. “Thank you, Daddy.”</p>
<p>His smile disappeared as he continued looking around. “I assume you’re ready, then, to impress the rest of the guests, correct?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“The entire board from Anderson Toys is coming tonight. Even the Vice-Chairman’s son will be coming. All of them will be measuring your potential.”</p>
<p>“My potential?” she asked.</p>
<p>“To become CEO of the company.”</p>
<p>As it dawned on Mika why her father wanted this party, Suzu muttered, “Of course.”</p>
<p>Mika looked back to her friends and “servants,” and received a thumbs up from Naomi, Suzu, and Matthew.</p>
<p>James whispered to Naomi. “What’s this about becoming CEO?”</p>
<p>Naomi, not taking her eyes off of the talking family, whispered back, “Mika’s grandfather was the founder of Anderson Toys Company. Mika’s father has wanted her to be the CEO ever since we were little. The thing is, Mika’s not really interested, but her dad doesn’t really listen to her.”</p>
<p>He gave a single solemn nod. With sad eyes, he replied, “I understand completely.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Poor Mika was being bombarded with questions ever since the party started. Naomi, while having experience mingling with politicians, couldn’t help but be intimidated by all of these businessmen and women. Normally, she’d talk about politics at her father’s parties, but she figured that wasn’t a subject these people would want to discuss. She was slightly envious of Simon, who got to spend the evening watching TV upstairs.</p>
<p>Suzu wasn’t doing any better. She couldn’t hold a conversation with any of these people. The things they wanted to talk about were either stuff she had never heard about, or things she didn’t care to even have an opinion on. She felt like with each conversation, she was making her friends look worse by association.</p>
<p>By the time Naomi and Suzu found each other, they were already overwhelmed. Naomi looked towards the dining room, where she knew Matthew was handling the snacks. “Maybe we could spend the rest of the night with the boys.”</p>
<p>Damien joined them. “We’re not really doing anything fun, but we wouldn’t be against the company.”</p>
<p>Suzu smiled at him. “Hanging out with you guys is way more fun than hanging out with these snobs.”</p>
<p>Naomi put a hand on his shoulder in concern. “Are you okay? I’m assuming there’s a lot of… thoughts.”</p>
<p>Damien nodded. “I’m alright. I used to hear these many thoughts all the time. Thank you for asking.”</p>
<p>She patted his shoulder. “Glad to hear it.”</p>
<p>Suzu brought their attention to where Mika was standing in the crowd. “Guys, check out what Mika’s mom’s up to.”</p>
<p>They watched as Mrs. Anderson introduced a young man to Mika. He seemed just a couple years older than them, but his attire and posture assured that he blended in with the crowd of older people.</p>
<p>Damien was able to answer the many questions they had. “That’s the Vice-Chairman’s son, Andrew Lewis. Her mother’s not voicing it, but she thinks he and Mika would make a good couple. She’s hoping they’ll at least become friends. Mika isn’t sure why her mother’s introducing her to him, but he’s revealed to her that her grandfather used to talk about her at the office often. Now she understands why everyone’s questions could get a bit personal.”</p>
<p>Erik must have noticed them huddled together and talking, because he joined them. “What juicy gossip am I missing?”</p>
<p>Suzu gestured to Mika, her mother, and Andrew. “Mrs. Anderson’s trying to play matchmaker, but she’s kinda failing at being subtle about it.”</p>
<p>He looked through the crowd to see what they were talking about. “Hmm. She could certainly do much worse as far as appearance. Tall, handsome, elegant. He seems to have good manners as well.”</p>
<p>Damien cringed. “Mr. Anderson’s going to join them. He’s not happy.”</p>
<p>Just as he predicted, Mika’s father butted in, appearing passive aggressive. They still couldn’t hear what was being said, but whatever it was, Andrew was getting visibly uncomfortable. It didn’t take long for him to walk away.</p>
<p>Naomi watched as the boy disappeared into the dining room. “Poor thing. Should we follow him?”</p>
<p>Damien seemed conflicted. “I don’t know. He wants to be alone, but I don’t know if that’s what’s best.”</p>
<p>Erik made the decision for everyone. “Allow me to go after him.”</p>
<p>“You?” Suzu asked.</p>
<p>“I’m charismatic enough to know when to give him space. Wallowing in self-pity won’t do him any good.” He perused his way through the crowd to follow Andrew.</p>
<p>“Think he’s going to flirt with him out of habit?”</p>
<p>Damien sighed. “I hope not.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>The food was almost gone by the time Naomi reached the table. Matthew was there, ready in case someone needed help. She wasn’t sure what it was about him, but Naomi found herself drawn to Matthew. Maybe it was because he was sweet, a lot of fun, and a big ball of sunshine in general. Whatever the reason, she figured he would be the best person to hang out with until the party ended.</p>
<p>“Mind if I stay here for a bit?” she asked.</p>
<p>“Of course! Can I get you something to eat?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m fine. I just need a break.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “Gotcha. By the way, thanks for dancing with me earlier.”</p>
<p>She giggled at the memory. “No problem. It was fun! I never considered cooking and dancing at the same time.”</p>
<p>He grinned from ear to ear. “You know, you’ve got really good taste in music.”</p>
<p>“Thanks. What kind of music did they have in… um…? Where is it you’re from?”</p>
<p>His smile fell. “The Abyssal Plains? It didn’t have a lot of music actually. Most of what we had was classical or something similar. Seeing all of these genres was kind of a culture shock. It definitely beats the boring songs back in the castle.”</p>
<p>Naomi gazed at him in shock. “Wait, you mean Mika and Suzu weren’t kidding about a castle?!”</p>
<p>He laughed. “Yep.”</p>
<p>“Does everyone live in a castle in the Abyssal Plains?”</p>
<p>“Nope! Only the cool ones! But in all seriousness, my brothers and I were nobles. We-” Matthew suddenly stopped talking as an old woman approached the table of food. Naomi offered her a polite smile before turning back to Matthew. He kept his eyes on the table until the lady walked off.</p>
<p>Naomi suggested, “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about certain things when there are a lot of people around. Sorry for bringing it up.”</p>
<p>“That’s okay. There’s plenty of ‘normal’ stuff to talk about. Like… Damien said Sam and I made you think of something called 'Spongebob' last night?”</p>
<p>“You’ve never heard of <em>Spongebob Squarepants</em>?!” she exclaimed.</p>
<p>“No. Is it any good?”</p>
<p>She nodded. “So, here’s what the show’s about…”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Suzu had managed to slip away into the kitchen a few minutes ago. After searching for something that might satisfy her taste buds, she decided to just have a good old-fashioned glass of water. Sam came in with an empty plate, grumbling to himself. When he noticed Suzu, he fell silent.</p>
<p>She explained. “I can only take so much arrogance in one sitting. Decided I’d lay low until the end of the party.”</p>
<p>He set the plate in the sink. “You think talking with them is bad, try working for them. I swear these people think they’re better than me just because I’m a servant.” He jumped up and sat on the counter. “Also, by what I’ve seen and heard, you’re right about Mika’s dad being an asshole.”</p>
<p>She leaned against the counter across from him, smirking. “Well, I have known the guy since I was a little girl. Patterson likes to see the best in people and Anderson’s not exactly going to badmouth her own dad. Otherwise, they’d definitely agree with me.”</p>
<p>“I get ya.”</p>
<p>They didn’t say anything for some time. Suzu concentrated on her water as Sam sat on the counter, lost in his own thoughts. She didn’t want to be trapped in this silence, but she didn’t want to leave and face the crowd either. As much as she wanted to be alone, she’d have to make do with his presence.</p>
<p>“Hey,” she said, “I never got to ask. Where did you learn tai chi?”</p>
<p>“Hmm? Oh. My brothers and I know multiple fighting styles. My mom thought it would be best if I learned tai chi. It’s a way to ensure I can protect myself, but it was also a way to calm down her brute of a son.”</p>
<p>“My parents have entertained the idea of sending me to martial arts classes before, but they never really had the time. I usually won the fights I somehow got in anyway. I can have a lot of pent up rage. It comes in handy every now and then.”</p>
<p>“I can believe that. Rage can be pretty powerful. Especially if you know how to feed off it.”</p>
<p>Suzu set her glass by the sink. “I guess. I’m not exactly an expert on how emotions affect me.”</p>
<p>He hopped off the counter. “I gotta get back to work. See you later?”</p>
<p>“You’re living in my best friend’s house. It’s kind of inevitable.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Thank goodness the party would be over in half an hour. Mika wasn’t sure how many more questions she could take. Even if she didn’t necessarily want the position as CEO, she didn’t want to disappoint her parents by having a sort of meltdown at her own party.</p>
<p>James addressed the people she was conversing with before talking to her. “Excuse me, gentlemen. Miss, we have a situation that requires your attention.”</p>
<p>Oh no. This was the last thing she needed. Her mind was racing as she tried to figure out what the situation was. A technical difficulty? No more food? Simon on the loose?</p>
<p>She pardoned herself before accompanying James to a quieter part of the lobby. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>He smiled. “Nothing. You just seemed like you needed a break.”</p>
<p>She exhaled, letting her anxiety out with it. “Thank God.”</p>
<p>“My apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you so much.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it. You saved me back there.” She stared forlornly at all of the people talking and laughing. “This is all so stressful.”</p>
<p>“I think you’re handling yourself well.” He paused before getting serious. “May I offer you some advice?”</p>
<p>Her focus snapped right back to him. “Please!”</p>
<p>“Growing up, my father wanted me to take his job one day. I spent day after day training to take his place. I always did my best to please him, because it’s what I thought was best.”</p>
<p>He looked into the crowd, and Mika followed his gaze to see her father talking to some board members. He had been stoic most of the night, only smiling when necessary. When a joke was told, he laughed to be polite. When someone consoled him for the recent loss of his father, his expression stayed stone cold as he thanked them. She was pretty sure many people in the room found him off-putting. Mika would.</p>
<p>James spoke again, bringing the attention back to himself. “I fully expected to follow in his footsteps. But one day, Matthew and Damien started talking about running away to the human world. It didn’t take long for them to convince Erik, and Sam relented when he realized he was outnumbered.”</p>
<p>“And you?”</p>
<p>“I had my reservations. By running away, I’d be throwing away all of my responsibilities as my father’s heir. I could forget about ever going back. On the other hand, if I didn’t run away, all of my burdens would still exist, except now I wouldn’t have my brothers to help ease my pain. It didn’t take me long to decide to run away too. And you know what?”</p>
<p>“What?” she asked, so sucked into the story that she didn’t realize the question was rhetorical.</p>
<p>The way he smiled at her was so genuine. Much more so than any of the smiles her father gave her recently. “It was the best decision I ever made. I’m much happier now than I ever was.” He suddenly grew very serious again, but still kept the same amount of care in his eyes. “Your father may think he knows what’s best for you, but life is best lived happily. If you don’t want to be a CEO, don’t be a CEO.”</p>
<p>His words were very reminiscent of her grandpa’s advice from long ago. He had encouraged her to do what made her happy too, but she also cared about the company. Anderson Toys was her grandfather’s legacy, and she didn’t want to see it tarnished by some money hungry billionaire. She wanted the company to flourish the way her grandfather would want it to, by having its main focus be making children happy.</p>
<p>She partly voiced her concerns. “I would love to just do whatever I want to do, James. But if I don’t step up to keep my grandpa’s company safe, who will?”</p>
<p>“Someone will. There are many people in the world. Quite a few will be capable.”</p>
<p>“What about my dad?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know your father well enough to say what he’d do. If he truly loves you, I believe he’ll get over it once he sees how much happier you are.”</p>
<p>Mika looked to her father again. He was still mingling with the same people. If this is what he truly wanted life to be like, he wasn’t doing a great job at showing it. Then again, her father never really was one to wear his heart on his sleeve. He could be in absolute euphoria and no one would know. Not even those closest to him.</p>
<p>“I’ll think about it,” she finally replied.</p>
<p>“I can accept that. Thank you, Miss.”</p>
<p>“No, James… Thank you. For everything.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Mika and her father had said their goodbyes to the last of the guests. Now it was just her, her parents, her friends, and the incubi. It really hadn’t come soon enough.</p>
<p>She turned to her father to see him smiling down at her. “What?”</p>
<p>He answered, “You did good tonight. I’m proud of you.”</p>
<p>“O-oh. Thank you.”</p>
<p>“Keep it up, and you’ll be a good CEO.” Mika tried not to let her disappointment show at his words. His smile disappeared. “Alright. Your mother and I have to leave. Just because it’s Saturday doesn’t mean you get to stay up all night with your friends.”</p>
<p>“Right,” she said.</p>
<p>Her mother walked over and gave her another hug. “Goodnight, Sweetie. Come visit us soon.”</p>
<p>“Will do!” She escorted her parents out and waved to them when they reached their car. Only her mother waved back. She closed the door and went over to sit at the bottom of the steps. “That was exhausting.”</p>
<p>Suzu commented, “It looked exhausting.”</p>
<p>Naomi added, “I thought you did really well!”</p>
<p>Erik put on his charming smile. “As expected, Princess!”</p>
<p>Suzu yawned. “I better get going before I’m too tired to drive.”</p>
<p>“It’s pretty late,” said Mika, “Do you guys want to stay over again?”</p>
<p>“We wouldn’t be intruding, would we?” Naomi asked.</p>
<p>“You wouldn’t, I promise.”</p>
<p>James offered, “Since you’re exhausted, why don’t you three head up to bed. We can clean up.”</p>
<p>Sam threw his head back as he groaned.</p>
<p>“Hush, Sam,” Erik scolded.</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” Mika asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” said Matthew, “it shouldn’t take long!”</p>
<p>A new voice, one that Mika recognized, resounded throughout the lobby, “Oh ho ho! It didn’t take long to find you little shits after all!”</p>
<p>Mika shot up and frantically looked around for the source of the voice. Her friends searched too, but it was more out of confusion than fear.</p>
<p>James must’ve noticed Mika trying not to panic. “Don’t worry. No one will hurt you.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure? Are you really sure?”</p>
<p>The doors swung open to reveal a man with blood red skin, pointy ears, white hair, and yellow eyes. His smile displayed all of his teeth, including his sharp canines. It didn’t take long for the girls to realize that this was a devil the boys talked about the night before.</p>
<p>A female devil appeared next to him. She had the same skin, ears and eyes, but her hair was dark. Whereas the male looked insanely happy, she looked a bit indifferent, like she felt they had better things to do. Naomi barely noticed her come in. All she could focus on was the gun in the guy’s hand.</p>
<p>“Aww, what’s the matter boys?” he asked, “You really didn’t think I wouldn’t find you, did you?”</p>
<p>Before anyone could even think about stopping him, Sam began marching towards the intruders. “I hoped you would you piece of-!”</p>
<p>With no hesitation, the devil aimed the gun between Sam’s eyes and pulled the trigger. As the gunshot echoed, everyone gasped, expecting to see Sam drop to the ground with a hole in his head. To everyone’s surprise, including Sam’s, he was perfectly fine.</p>
<p>The devil seemed the most puzzled out of everyone, “Wh-what the fuck?!” He kept trying the trigger over and over again. Rather than a gunshot, each pull of the trigger just sounded like an empty chamber. “Why the fuck won’t you work?!”</p>
<p>Damien revealed, “This place is protected.”</p>
<p>“What did you say, shrimp?!”</p>
<p>“This place has a seal, protecting it from Hell-borne magic.</p>
<p>“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!” Aggravated, he threw his pistol at Sam, who easily ducked out of the way. It skittered across the floor before bursting into a black flame and disappearing.</p>
<p>Matthew explained, “The previous owner had this place protected by magic, Malix.”</p>
<p>Mika immediately recognized the name. Meanwhile, her friends were trying to wrap their heads around the fact that her grandfather knew magic.</p>
<p>That fact finally caught up to her too. “Magic?”</p>
<p>James said, “It would seem your grandfather had some sort of protective barrier around this house. From the looks of it, it only disables Hell-borne magic.”</p>
<p>Malix tightened his fists to the point where it looked painful. “Then what’s stopping me from DRAGGING YOUR ASSES OUT AND SHOOTING YOU THEN?!”</p>
<p>Suzu took one step forward. “Me, bitch!”</p>
<p>Malix looked shocked before he glared at her with all of the hate he could muster. “What did you just call me?!”</p>
<p>Naomi, knowing her friend made herself a target, tried to draw the attention away from her. “I mean… you can’t really shoot them. You don’t have your gun anymore.”</p>
<p>He laughed. “You really think that’s my only one?! And that it’s gone forever?! That’s cute!”</p>
<p>Mika finally had the chance to do what she couldn’t in her dream. She had been tied up and helpless in her nightmare. Now, she could stand up for herself and her friends, and that was what she was going to do.</p>
<p>She walked right up to Malix, standing up tall and summoning as much courage as possible. “Get out of my house!”</p>
<p>Malix growled. “Since when did human bitches get to push me around! You best be careful who you speak to!”</p>
<p>Before Mika realized what he was doing, someone had pushed her out of the way of Malix’s punch. She almost fell over, but Damien had caught her and pulled her away from Malix.</p>
<p>Naomi wasn’t so lucky. She successfully got her friend out of the way, but the fist that was meant for Mika collided with her left eye. With a cry of pain, she fell to the floor.</p>
<p>Suzu was about to charge, but Sam wrapped his arms around her. All she could do was yell, “HEY! LAY OFF!”</p>
<p>Matthew hurried over to Naomi, dragging her back over. She tried her best to glare at Malix, but the tears welling up in her eyes made it less threatening than she wanted it to be.</p>
<p>Malix laughed. “A quick one! I’m liking you girls more and more. Too bad you weren’t fast enough to save yourself too.”</p>
<p>Matthew seemed like he was ready to charge at Malix himself. “Back off, Malix!”</p>
<p>“Don’t start acting tough you pathetic excuse of a demon. You need more protection than a few little girls~”</p>
<p>“Shut up!”</p>
<p>He began to mock him, “Aw, did I make little Matthew cry? Why don’t you just <em>grow a pair</em>?!”</p>
<p>The woman finally intervened, placing a firm hand on Malix’s shoulder. “Enough, Malix.”</p>
<p>He glared back at her with a growl. “Since when did you get the guts to speak out of place?!”</p>
<p>“We both know you’ve never controlled me. I want them dead just like you do, but now’s not the time.”</p>
<p>“Fuck off. I know what I’m doing, Eris.”</p>
<p>“Do you? Even if you did fight them, it’s five against two. We’d never win.”</p>
<p>“SHUT UP!”</p>
<p>“LET’S GO MALIX! WE’RE WASTING OUR TIME!”</p>
<p>The two devils commenced a sort of staring contest that rabid dogs might have before attacking each other. Mika was convinced it’d somehow be even more frightening without the protective seal.</p>
<p>Malix grunted in defeat and glared at the boys. He pointed in James’ direction and chuckled. “Just wait, pretty boys. We’ll get you and fuck you up <em>real</em> good.”</p>
<p>His laughter following the threat gave the girls goosebumps. It reminded them of a stereotypical evil villain laugh, but it was actually scary. It was long, high-pitched, and filled with derangement. It was very fitting for the personality he displayed ever since he walked inside.</p>
<p>Putting his finger down, he looked at each girl with a wicked smile. “And don’t think you bitches are safe. Mm-mm. Step outside. I <em>dare </em>you!” He topped it off with another laugh that was longer and more insane than the last one.</p>
<p>With that, the devils walked back out into the night, and the doors shut behind them. As creeped out as Suzu and Mika were, their only concern at that moment was Naomi.</p>
<p>Mika hugged her. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>As they broke the hug, Mika saw that the skin around Naomi’s eye was already red. She’d be sporting a black eye by morning. “It stings, but I’m okay.”</p>
<p>Sam let go of Suzu, and she went over to her friends. “How about you sit on the stairs, Patterson?”</p>
<p>James said to Matthew. “Go get her an ice pack.”</p>
<p>Matthew ran off without a word. Naomi took her friend’s advice and sat on the step Mika had occupied earlier. She found herself wanting to touch the injury, as if that could somehow take away the pain. She let a couple of tears she held back in front of the devils fall.</p>
<p>Suzu could still see tinges of red in her vision. She ran to the front door, opened it, and screamed, “FUCKER!” before slamming it shut. She asked the boys, “How’d he even know you guys were here in the first place?!”</p>
<p>Damien answered, “He’s been closely tracking us. Our blood trail must have led him here.”</p>
<p>Matthew returned with a Ziploc bag filled with ice and wrapped in a towel. “We should’ve finished him while we had the chance!”</p>
<p>As he handed the ice pack to Naomi, Sam said, “For once, I agree with you.”</p>
<p>Naomi pressed the ice to her eye, almost whimpering as the cold bit at her injury. It broke her friends’ hearts to see her like that.</p>
<p>Mika sat next to her. “Thanks for pushing me out of the way.”</p>
<p>Smiling a little, Naomi said, “You’d do the same for me.”</p>
<p>“She would,” said Suzu, “but that doesn’t make you any less hardcore for doing that.”</p>
<p>Now that Malix was officially a threat to all of them, safety was Mika’s primary concern. She looked up at the boys. They would have a much better idea on how to handle this. “What are we going to do now?”</p>
<p>Damien gave her an answer that she didn’t expect. “There’s magic keeping you safe as well.”</p>
<p>“…What?”</p>
<p>Matthew elaborated. “What Damien means is, the magic protecting the house is also protecting you.”</p>
<p>James added, “Your grandfather must have cast the seal on you when you last saw him or something of that nature. It’s very present in your aura.”</p>
<p>“If you were to face Malix,” said Erik, “it’d be like facing another human.”</p>
<p>Suzu attempted to jest. “I guess your taekwondo’s finally gonna come in handy, huh Anderson?”</p>
<p>Mika ignored the joke, skipping straight to asking, “What about Naomi and Suzu?”</p>
<p>“Unfortunately,” James said, “they don’t have that protection outside of the house.”</p>
<p>Suzu shrugged, as if not having individual protection against something from Hell was no big deal. “It makes sense. We weren’t particularly close with her grandpa. I don’t even remember the last time I saw him.”</p>
<p>“We,” James referred to him and his brothers, “will continue to train and stop him from hurting anyone else. In the meantime, Suzu, Naomi, I think it’s best that you stay in the mansion.”</p>
<p>Naomi asked, “For how long? We have school on Monday.”</p>
<p>“And,” said Suzu, “I’m supposed to babysit my little sister tomorrow evening. What exactly am I supposed to tell my parents?”</p>
<p>James seemed to consider their points before suggesting, “Why don’t we all sleep on it. We might be able to work out a solution when we’re more awake.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If there weren't any tags, would you guys be able to tell what romances are forming? Out of curiosity, what's your favorite relationship so far?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Sunday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So here we are again... The point of view shifts pretty quickly this time and Mika is given very little attention compared to the other chapters, but I think those are the only major differences.</p>
<p>There's a conversation in Italian towards the end of the chapter. While I'm not fluent in Italian, I'm pretty certain I've got it right. I'll provide a translation in the note after the chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Since they never took their duffel bags home, Naomi and Suzu had a change of clothes for the day. Naomi had just changed into hers, and was observing herself in the bathroom connected to the master bedroom. A black eye had formed overnight, and she had no idea how she was going to explain it to her parents. Sure, she could cover it with makeup, but there was a good chance they would notice it at some point. The best story that she could come up with was that she fell face first into the stair railing, but her gut was telling her that no one would buy it.</p>
<p>Simon watched her from the counter. He had turned inanimate by the time the girls went to bed, so this was the first time he was seeing her injury. Smiling, she picked him up and held him in front of her face. He gently touched her black eye, making sad whimpers as he did.</p>
<p>“It’s okay, Simon. The bad man’s gone. Why don’t we go downstairs and have some breakfast?” He perked up a little at her suggestion, and Naomi carried him all the way to the kitchen. Everyone else was still asleep, so she figured she’d only have to make something for herself and Simon for now.</p>
<p>He sat on the counter, eating the leftover strawberry cupcake he insisted he have for breakfast. Her spirits too low to cook, she decided to just have a bowl of cereal. She ate it silently, standing by Simon as she did.</p>
<p>She couldn’t take her mind off Malix. He was dangerous. Anyone could see that, but Naomi couldn’t stay here forever. Would he really go out of his way to attack her and her friends at their homes? Their school? She didn’t think she’d ever forgive herself if someone got hurt because he followed her. School had too many witnesses for a human to commit murder and get away, but maybe devils didn’t care about that. Maybe he’d like the fact that there were so many victims to choose from. If he showed up at her house, she knew her parents would probably get hurt. They had no idea she was in danger, let alone that it was because of some devils. They wouldn’t even be prepared for an attack if Naomi warned them.</p>
<p>“Hey,” someone said. She looked towards the kitchen entrance to see Matthew. He was back in his normal clothes, but he had a slight case of bedhead. His smile fell when she looked up at him.</p>
<p>“Hi,” she replied. “Is something wrong?”</p>
<p>“Your eye…”</p>
<p>“Oh, right. I’m planning on covering it up before I go anywhere.”</p>
<p>He walked over to her, looking glum. “I’m really sorry about what happened last night.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay,” she insisted, “The only one to blame is Malix.”</p>
<p>“Speaking of, are you planning on staying here until he and his goons are taken care of?”</p>
<p>She set her bowl on the counter. “I couldn’t if I wanted to. Suzu and I just have to learn how to protect ourselves, I guess.”</p>
<p>“I understand. You can’t put your entire life on hold.”</p>
<p>“It’s a shame, though. Suzu’s been wanting to go to the arcade, and we usually go to the Pink Lady Café on weekends. Now that just seems like taking an unnecessary risk.”</p>
<p>“The Pink Lady Café? That name sounds familiar.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “It’s wonderful! We go there all the time. It might just be my favorite place in the whole world.”</p>
<p>“Well, once my brothers wake up, we’re planning on training until noon. What if we take you guys out when we’re done?”</p>
<p>“Really? Are you sure that’s safe?”</p>
<p>“Yeah! We’re refreshing our fighting skills, and we have powers that can protect everyone.”</p>
<p>It sounded doable, and Matthew seemed confident with his idea. “Okay then. I’ll run it by Mika and Suzu once they wake up. In the meantime…” She looked down at Simon’s empty plate to see that he’d run off. “I better clean up.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Suzu woke up to the sun in her eyes. She groaned, pulling the covers over her head. After last night, she wasn’t in any hurry to get out of bed. She was almost able to fall back asleep, but the door opened, letting in the voices of her chatting friends.</p>
<p>“You should go Naomi,” said Mika, “but I’m too tired to do much today.”</p>
<p>Suzu sat up. “Go where? And why are you guys awake at this unholy hour?”</p>
<p>Naomi replied, “The café, and it’s almost noon.”</p>
<p>“Really? It feels earlier than that.”</p>
<p>“What about you? Would you like to go with some of the boys and me to the café?”</p>
<p>Suzu was getting ready to suggest the arcade when she remembered. “Wait. What about those devils? I thought you and I weren’t protected?”</p>
<p>Naomi responded, “That’s why some of the boys are going with us. Besides, we can’t stay here all day. You have to watch Francesca, and my parents will want me home during a school night.”</p>
<p>“True. Tell you what. How about you go to the café while I go check out that new game? If I’m watching Francesca, I might not have time to go to both.”</p>
<p>Mika asked, “Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“Positive. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to catch a few more Z’s.” And with that, she plopped back down.</p>
<p>Mika chuckled before telling Naomi. “I’m going to make some lunch for myself. You go ahead and get Matthew and whoever else wanted to go.”</p>
<p>Naomi agreed. “Okay. In case I don’t make it back until later, you guys have a good day. I’ll leave your helmet in the lobby, Suzu. And my extra one so you can bring one of the boys to the arcade.”</p>
<p>Suzu gave a thumbs up, before letting her hand collapse onto the mattress.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Naomi had already put makeup on her bruise, packed her duffel bag and backpack, and retrieved the helmets by the time Matthew met her in the lobby. She had offered to bring Simon to the café, but he wanted to stay behind. She wondered what escapades he went on when he was alone. He must be having fun if he wasn’t tired of being in the mansion yet.</p>
<p>Matthew jogged into the lobby. “All set!”</p>
<p>“None of your brothers are coming?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “I offered, but they insisted we go alone for some reason. Is that okay?”</p>
<p>“Sure.” They began to walk outside. “I promise you’ll love this place, Matthew!”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Later, Suzu couldn’t find Mika, so she shot her a text saying she was heading to the arcade. She looked down the staircase to see Sam turning one of the helmets in his hands. “What are you doing?”</p>
<p>He glanced over to her. “Damien said you were going to the arcade.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. There’s a new game I want to try out. Why do you have my helmet?”</p>
<p>He placed it under his arm. “I figured you’d want someone to go with you. What with devils running around and all.”</p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow. They were already on better terms thanks to the tai chi lesson, but she never really considered ever taking him out anywhere. That being said, she did prefer to have someone to tag team with at the arcade. With Naomi at the café and Mika too tired to leave the mansion, that only left one of the incubi.</p>
<p>She asked, “You any good at videogames?”</p>
<p>He smirked. “I don’t like to brag, but I’m <em>great</em> at videogames.”</p>
<p>Suzu grabbed the other helmet. “Well then, let’s roll.”</p>
<p>They exited the lobby and approached her motorcycle. Sam studied it for a few moments, looking impressed. “These any hard to ride?”</p>
<p>She got on and placed her helmet on her head. “At first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s mostly other cars you have to worry about.”</p>
<p>“It seems fun.”</p>
<p>“Hop on and see for yourself!”</p>
<p>He got on behind her and wrapped his arms around her midsection. It was practical for him to do, but it didn’t stop her face from heating up. Thank God she had a helmet on.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It being a weekend, the Moon Fall Arcade was busy. Sam had been taking in all of the sights since they entered the building, and he looked fascinated by everything. Suzu couldn’t blame him. It was bustling with activity and had lots of flashing lights and noises coming from the machines. It must seem like a whole other world to someone who isn't familiar with arcades.</p>
<p>She scanned the room for the new game as Sam noted, “This place smells like body spray and soda.”</p>
<p>She finally spotted it. “Come on, I see it!” She practically ran over to the machine that had ‘ORION’ flashing on the screen. He followed, easily keeping up with her. “Wanna play, Sam?”</p>
<p>“That’s what I’m here for.”</p>
<p>They each inserted a quarter and took their positions by a joystick. The instructions appeared on the screen, but there wasn’t a lot it needed to explain. Shoot the bad guys. Don’t let Isakku die. Seemed simple enough to her. “You ready?”</p>
<p>“What are we supposed to do?”</p>
<p>“The directions are on the screen.”</p>
<p>Sam bit his lip, looking nervous about something. It was a complete 180 to the guy who went around not caring about anything. She barely heard him sigh before he said, “I… have a confession to make. I can’t read.”</p>
<p>“Can't read? You mean you have dyslexia?”</p>
<p>He shook his head, staring at the screen. “No. At least I don’t think so. I just never learned.”</p>
<p>“They don’t teach that in demon school?”</p>
<p>He rolled his eyes. “There’s no such thing as demon school. I’m the third son, so my parents didn’t see any point in teaching me.”</p>
<p>She asked in confusion, "Why does being the third son decide whether or not you get to read?"</p>
<p>"James was the heir, so he needed to know how to read in order to take our dad's place. Erik was also taught just in case something happened to James. I was never going to be the heir, so no one gave a shit if I couldn't read."</p>
<p>It was a bit hard to comprehend. Suzu grew up in a world where every parent wanted their child to be literate. She spent years learning spelling and grammar when she couldn’t care less about it. The only parents she could see not caring about their child reading were assholes or people going through desperate times that got in the way of an education.</p>
<p>She decided now wasn’t the time to grill him for more details. “I’ll read you the instructions today.”</p>
<p>He sighed again, this time in relief. “Thanks. I didn’t want to ask.”</p>
<p>“Don’t mention it,” she said before reciting what was on the screen.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Naomi pulled into the parking lot of the café. Parking and turning her car off, she turned to Matthew. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting him to do, but she was puzzled to see him staring at the building in awe. “Matthew?”</p>
<p>He confessed, “This… this is where my brothers and I first entered the human world.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“The man that created the portal from the demon world to here… This is where he did it. He brought us here and K made us coffee.”</p>
<p>K… K knew about demons and magic. The woman who she saw as an aunt or big sister, the one she confided in when Mika and Suzu were unavailable, knew everything. How could she hide something like that from her? Naomi almost felt betrayed. She stared at the café, a building that now had a whole new meaning than a place she felt at home in. What other magic took place in there? What else was K keeping from her?</p>
<p>She reeled in her thoughts. It wasn’t fair to vilify K like that. She must’ve had her reasons for not saying anything. It’d be hypocritical to point fingers at her when Naomi herself was keeping her knowledge hidden from the world. Well, K didn’t have to hide it from her anymore.</p>
<p>She opened her door. “We better go in. I’m sure K will be happy to see you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah… yeah…”</p>
<p>When they entered the café, K smiled upon seeing Naomi but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Matthew. Rather than wait for her to recover from her apparent shock, they approached her.</p>
<p>K broke out of her little trance and hugged Naomi. “It’s so good to see you! How’ve you been, girl?!”</p>
<p>She hugged back. “I’m okay.” When the hug ended, she said, “I believe you’ve met Matthew?”</p>
<p>Matthew waved. “Hi, K. Long time no see.”</p>
<p>She smiled at him, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Ain’t that the truth. What are you doing here?”</p>
<p>He looked down, twisting his foot like he was halfheartedly trying to rub something off his shoe. “It’s a long story. Basically, my brothers and I are staying with Mika in her mansion. You know her, right?”</p>
<p>“Of course! She’s a regular and Harold’s granddaughter!”</p>
<p>Matthew looked back up in confusion. “Wait… Harold’s granddaughter?”</p>
<p>Naomi explained, “The mansion was Harold Anderson’s until he died.”</p>
<p>“Harold’s dead?”</p>
<p>K nodded solemnly as Naomi asked him, “You knew her grandfather?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he’s the man I was telling you about in the car. The one who made the portal. No wonder Mika and the mansion are protected with magic!”</p>
<p>Naomi’s head was spinning. She figured Mr. Anderson had known something about magic ever since they found out about the seal, but never would she imagine that he could create a portal between the Abyssal Plains and Earth. Just who was Harold Anderson? Why could he use magic?</p>
<p>K put a hand on each of their backs and guided them to a table. “How about you two sit down and I’ll take your orders from here? I think there’s <em>a lot</em> we need to discuss.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Normally, Suzu would stay at the arcade until the sun was replaced with other stars, but having to pay for two people quickly depleted her amount of available funds. After an hour and a half of playing games with Sam, she barely had money to buy food.</p>
<p>She counted the change she had left. “I should have enough money for us to get snacks. Did you want anything from the vending machines before we go?”</p>
<p>“Nah, I’ve leeched enough quarters off you already.”</p>
<p>She made her way towards the vending machines. “Suit yourself. I’ll meet you at the front doors.”</p>
<p>Suzu couldn’t deny that playing games with Sam was actually… enjoyable. It was obvious that he had less experience with videogames than her, but he caught on quickly. She wondered if videogames existed in the demon world or if he had to learn all of his skills during his short amount of time on Earth. If it was the latter, she’d be very impressed.</p>
<p>Against her better judgement, she was really warming up to the boy. He was witty, had a good sense of humor, was competitive, strong, helpful at times, and, dare she say, handsome. It was getting harder to remind herself that he stole Mika’s first kiss, but when she remembered, she found that she still held some ill will towards him. She could tell her friends trusted him, even Mika. Was there something she was missing that would make her feel less guilty about liking him?</p>
<p>This would have to be something to talk to Naomi and Mika about. They’re the only ones who knew what Sam was and what he did before she tackled him. Hopefully, she didn’t misread their forgiveness towards him and they would be able to shed some light on what she should do moving forward.</p>
<p>“Hey,” said a boy, “Are you going to buy something?”</p>
<p>Suzu snapped out of her thoughts to see that she had been spacing out in front of the vending machine, and a guy was impatiently waiting behind her. Without a word, she bought a chocolate bar, and made her way to the exit.</p>
<p>When she got there, Sam asked, “Was there somewhere else you wanted to go?”</p>
<p>She held the door open for him. “No. I should probably get you back to the mansion before heading home.”</p>
<p>He shrugged, and they left the arcade. Suzu opened her chocolate bar and scarfed it down as they strolled toward her motorcycle. Not only did she want to finish her candy before she had to drive, but she needed an excuse not to make any conversation. She felt guilty enough being friendly with him in the arcade.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The Pink Lady Café was quieter than usual, so K was able to explain everything without customers eavesdropping. Unfortunately, duty did sometimes call for her, interrupting the story. By the time she had finished explaining everything and had taken their orders, it had been well over two hours.</p>
<p>Naomi felt enlightened by all of the new information, but it was also overwhelming. It was like she was Eve, and her eyes were opened to everything thanks to the tree of knowledge. She had assured K that there were no hard feelings for all of the secrets, and offered to explain everything to Mika and Suzu at some point.</p>
<p>From what she could tell, Matthew had been shocked by Harold Anderson’s death in the beginning, but he had calmed down by the time K was done. It was agreed that he would tell his brothers about the fate of their rescuer. They all deserved to know as soon as possible, but a quick text about it wouldn't suffice.</p>
<p>When K left to make their food and drinks, it was just Matthew and Naomi at the table, sitting across from each other. She stared at the table as she processed everything, but Matthew was somehow able to read her without seeing her face.</p>
<p>“You look like the world caved in around you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” she admitted, “It kind of has. A lot of what I thought I knew… it wasn’t a lie, but it was still all wrong.”</p>
<p>He seemed to understand what she meant, but she wasn’t sure if he could relate to it personally. She hoped he couldn’t.</p>
<p>He commented, “You seem to know K very well, and you said you want to be a chef. Are you thinking about working here someday?”</p>
<p>Thankful for the change of subject, Naomi answered with a somewhat forced smile, “I would love to work here. I’m not sure when I’d be able to, though. I want to go to culinary school first.”</p>
<p>Matthew seemed to wrack his brain for a few moments before saying, “I think I’ve heard of that, but what exactly is a culinary school?”</p>
<p>“It’s a school focused solely on teaching its students to cook. I’m planning on going to the one not far away from my dad’s workplace. It’s supposed to be one of the best in the state and is known for their study abroad program. With any luck, I’ll be able to study in Paris for a semester.”</p>
<p>“I’ve been to Paris before. It’s nice.”</p>
<p>Naomi was surprised. “How were you able to travel outside of the country? Did your IDs work so well that you could trick the TSA?”</p>
<p>He nodded. “Yeah, but some guys staying at our hotel began to suspect we were demons, so we only got to stay in Paris a couple of days. We didn’t even get to go up the Eiffel Tower.”</p>
<p>Naomi was eager to know more. She asked, sounding more wistful than she meant to, “What’s it like? Is it as romantic as my romance novels say it is?”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “I’ve never read a human romance novel, but we did see a lot of couples. I swear, there were cafés everywhere, and some really dedicated mimes in the park! While the city tries to accommodate for tourists, I’d recommend learning French first.”</p>
<p>“I’ve actually been taking French throughout high school.”</p>
<p>“You’ve wanted to study in Paris for that long?”</p>
<p>“No. My school has a foreign language requirement. I got the idea of studying in France last year. I read a romance novel that took place there, and found myself learning as much about Paris as possible. The book made it sound like a magical place full of love and restaurants!”</p>
<p>He grinned at her. “I’d like to go back at some point. There was so much we missed out on.”</p>
<p>She returned the smile. “So you know my plans, but what about you? Do you have a dream job?”</p>
<p>Her question took him off guard. “What?”</p>
<p>“What career do you want?”</p>
<p>He rubbed the back of his neck. “Gosh, I’ve never thought about that. I guess with Harold gone, we do need jobs…”</p>
<p>Naomi didn’t want to bring the attention back to Mr. Anderson. She wanted him to just focus on passions he can pursue. “You’re really good at baking. Have you considered that?”</p>
<p>The smile returned to his face, albeit weaker than before. “I do like baking, but I’m not sure I like it enough to do it every day. If I had to choose a job, I’d want to create toys. I used to make toys all the time back in the Abyssal Plains.”</p>
<p>“Like Simon?”</p>
<p>His laughed in embarrassment. “Simon’s proof that I’m out of practice. The toys I’d make were always pretty, and a lot less mischievous.” He became somber as he continued, “My mother was always sad, and making toys was my way to cheer her up.”</p>
<p>“Why was she sad all the time?”</p>
<p>“It’s a long story,” he warned.</p>
<p>“I have time,” she answered sincerely.</p>
<p>One side of Matthew’s lips turned upward, but quickly fell back down as he said, “Well, our dad had four wives. James’ mom, Erik’s mom, Sam’s mom, and my mom. They got jealous of each other super easy, but my mother wasn’t usually as bothered as the other wives. She was the last one our dad married, so she thought she was special. She was convinced that she stopped his marrying streak. But then he had a kid out of wedlock. Damien. All of his wives were furious, and it became a real problem. So he had all of his wives turned into floating, spiritual orbs.”</p>
<p>Naomi had gotten over the shock of Matthew’s father having multiple wives just in time to be knocked off her feet with the last sentence. “That’s awful!”</p>
<p>Matthew agreed. “Yeah. I love my mother, and I wish I could've done more for her. She’s always had high hopes for me, teaching me how to read when others refused to. And while I could never see her smile, making her happy was one of my favorite things to do. Creating toys for her always did the trick, so that became my favorite hobby.”</p>
<p>Despite his sad smile, Naomi could only look upon him with pity. “You must miss her.”</p>
<p>He quickly wiped at his eye. “More than anything.”</p>
<p>“Is there any way we can bring her here?”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “Even if she wasn’t a blue orb, my father has a general sense of where she is at all times. It’s a side effect of the demon marriage ritual. She’d lead him right to us, and then we’d all be in danger.”</p>
<p>She thought of her own parents and how much she loved them. Would she be able to leave them if she had no choice? Unlike Matthew’s father, who seemed like a misogynistic jerk, her father wasn’t a danger to anyone. Her mother loved her to bits, and had always put Naomi’s needs before her own. If Naomi had no choice but to leave them, it’d probably be her parents pressuring her to go. She got the sense Matthew’s parents would rather have him back.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t mean to bring up something so personal.”</p>
<p>He waved his hand in dismissal, suddenly happy again, even if that happiness did seem a bit like a façade. “Don’t worry about it. It was good for me to get it out.”</p>
<p>Before Naomi could apologize again, Matthew clutched his head and scrunched his face in pain. She had no idea if this was supernatural related or something else. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>He didn’t move except to grip his head tighter. “Headache…”</p>
<p>Thank goodness it was something Naomi had experience in. “You probably need food. Until we get our meal, you can ask K for some pain meds. She always has some available.”</p>
<p>“It’s not that, it’s… it’s…”</p>
<p>She patiently yet anxiously waited for his answer. Eventually, he removed his hand and made eye contact, but the pain he felt was still evident on his face.</p>
<p>He revealed, “I need… energy.”</p>
<p>“Well, what you ordered should give… Oh. You mean <em>that </em>kind of energy.”</p>
<p>He looked ashamed of himself, which Naomi didn’t quite understand. It wasn’t his fault he required sexual energy. The poor boy looked like he was hiding some form of agony, and Naomi was more than willing to soothe it.</p>
<p>She held her arm out to offer her hand, her palm facing the ceiling. “Here.”</p>
<p>Matthew stared at her hand with a mixture of fright and apprehension. “I…”</p>
<p>“It’s okay,” she said, “I don’t mind. In fact, I want you to.”</p>
<p>Hesitantly, he placed his hand on hers. They each curled their fingers to hook their hands into an embrace. It wasn’t instantaneous, but Naomi eventually felt her energy draining from her. Neither said a word as they held hands. They just stared into the other’s eyes during the exchange. She couldn’t place exactly what the boy in front of her was feeling. He didn’t seem to be in pain, but there were other emotions she couldn’t identify. It almost looked like admiration, but it was probably just relief from his headache.</p>
<p>Something else was happening to her too besides the energy drain. She felt like there were butterflies in her stomach, but unlike similar experiences where the butterflies caused her to run away from the boy causing them, holding hands with Matthew felt right. It could’ve been his powers, or Naomi was experiencing a different sort of crush than she was used to. Either way, she liked it.</p>
<p>K’s voice ended the spell between them. “Aww! You two are so adorable!” Naomi whipped her head around to see K holding their sandwiches and drinks on a tray. They let go of each other so she could place their orders in front of them. She giggled like a schoolgirl before saying, “I hope you two enjoy!”</p>
<p>As she left, Naomi asked Matthew, “Was that enough?”</p>
<p>“Hmm? Oh yeah, it was plenty. Thank you.”</p>
<p>Naomi took a sip of her tea. “It’s no trouble. I’m just happy to see you feeling better!”</p>
<p>Matthew was about to bite into his sandwich, but said, “By the way, not to overstep or be creepy or anything, but you have very pretty eyes.”</p>
<p>She peeked over her cup to see him studying his sandwich. It was almost like he hadn’t said anything. “You think so?”</p>
<p>He looked back up at her, beaming. “Yeah! They’re very… blue.”</p>
<p>He smacked himself in the forehead as she laughed. She replied, “Your eyes are also very blue.”</p>
<p>He returned the laugh, and they ate their food, happy as can be.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Suzu knocked on Mika’s door. When there was no answer, she opened the door only to see that her friend was sleeping. She hadn’t even bothered to tuck herself in or change her clothes The party must’ve really taken a lot out of her. No wonder she didn’t want to go anywhere today. Suzu tiptoed to her things, scooped them up, and then quietly made her exit. After slowly closing the door so it wouldn’t creak, she sent a quick text to Naomi, letting her know not to disturb their friend.</p>
<p>She dragged her things to the lobby, where Sam was waiting for her. Why he was waiting for her, she didn’t know, but she figured she might as well thank him. “You weren't half bad today. Thanks for coming and making sure we didn’t get murdered.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome.” Suzu was going to say goodbye, but he continued, “Are you scared of heights?”</p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow at him. “Um… no?”</p>
<p>He smirked. “Wanna see something cool?”</p>
<p>She wasn’t sure where this was going, but she went ahead and dropped her stuff on the floor. “I guess. So long as it’s actually awesome.”</p>
<p>He signaled her to follow him, and they walked out of the lobby and towards the hall with the guest bedrooms. He opened a door and stepped into what Suzu assumed was his room. She stayed in the hallway, waiting for him to make his next move.</p>
<p>Rather than take something out of his closet or a drawer like she expected, he opened his bedroom window and climbed out and up to the roof. She ran after him, sticking her head out the window to see how he did it. It didn't take her long to see that he must’ve grabbed the edge of the roof and pulled himself up, so that’s what she decided to do. She was much shorter than Sam, so grabbing the roof in the first place was a challenge, but she was able to pull herself up with ease.</p>
<p>She stood up as Sam told her, “I was going to help you up.”</p>
<p>She wiped off some imaginary dust from her shoulder. “I can manage.” She looked around the roof. “So, what's up here exactly?”</p>
<p>He carefully began walking to the west so as not to fall. “That.”</p>
<p>Suzu followed him, and realized he was talking about the sunset. She had seen hundreds of those in her lifetime, but seeing it from the roof was different somehow. She could admire it without trees or buildings obstructing her view. To her surprise, she could even see how it was reflecting off of Lake Michigan in the distance.</p>
<p>“Woah…”</p>
<p>He didn’t even look back at her as he talked. “You know, I didn’t have much of a reason to come to the human world. Ask any of my brothers why they left, and they’d answer with something super deep. Me… I just wanted to be with my brothers. I wouldn’t have left the Abyssal Plains otherwise, but I never expected the human world to be so…” He finally faced her. “pretty.”</p>
<p>“Pretty,” she repeated. “I forget the world can be like that sometimes. Are you happy to be in the human world?”</p>
<p>“I am. I’ve got my brothers, but I also have a bunch of opportunities that I never thought existed. There’s a lot of beauty on Earth that I’ve never experienced back home.”</p>
<p>She didn’t ask for examples. Instead, she recalled something and smirked. “Wanna hear something sappy?”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>“A couple years back, Naomi was looking up some quotes on the internet. One said, ‘Every time an artist dies, God lets him paint the sky to say goodbye.’ It’s the only quote she found that day that stuck with me for some reason.”</p>
<p>His gaze settled back on the sunset. “Huh. Whichever artist painted this did a good job.” For a few minutes, they enjoyed the scene in silence, but a sad sigh from Sam caught Suzu’s attention. “I really am sorry about the kiss.”</p>
<p>She didn’t know what brought this on, but she figured it was a conversation they should have. “What you did was really awful.”</p>
<p>“I know, I just… I really needed energy to heal and I saw a way to get some. If I could go back, I wouldn’t have kissed her. I don’t blame you for not trusting me, but I want you to know that you can.”</p>
<p>Understanding of his desperation. That must be what Naomi and Mika saw. Why they forgave him. If he’s not a perv looking for any excuse for a kiss, then what is he? Normally, he’s a stereotypical bad boy who showed no concern, but now, he had demonstrated that he wasn’t always so cold. He could appreciate sunsets and laugh and…</p>
<p>It hit her. “Oh my God, you’re a tsundere!”</p>
<p>He was somehow able to look both confused and unbothered. “Should I be offended?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “A tsundere is someone who seems like an ass, but is actually just hiding their warm, friendly side under a tough persona.”</p>
<p>He looked like he wanted to retort, but ended up just crossing his arms and grumbling, “Doesn’t sound like me.”</p>
<p>“Face it,” she teased, “You’re an absolute tsundere.” He uncrossed his arms and rubbed his temples. Suzu took that as a sign of victory and looked back at the sunset. “This is a pretty sick view. What made you think of getting on the roof in the first place?”</p>
<p>He continued to rub his temples. “I was feeling cooped up, so I went to the roof.”</p>
<p>The vague answer along with his look of pain made her concerned. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“I’m just running low on energy. I’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>That was an easy fix. All she had to do was offer her hand and he could take some of hers. However, she could tell that he needed a good amount of energy. Especially if he was going to get down from the roof without falling onto the shrubs below. Mika’s kiss was able to sustain him for a long time, but was Suzu willing to give him one too? To her surprise, she found that she was. She felt guilty about misjudging Sam, and she wanted to make up for it somehow.</p>
<p>She approached him and draped her arms around his neck. “I can kiss you. If you want, that is.”</p>
<p>He stared at her in shock. “What?”</p>
<p>“You need energy. I’m offering you some of mine.”</p>
<p>“Would I be stealing your first kiss?” he asked.</p>
<p>“My first kiss was with a guy I liked back in middle school. He sneezed in my face. We never spoke again.”</p>
<p>He seemed to consider her offer for a few moments. “I promise not to sneeze if you promise not to hold this against me later.”</p>
<p>“Promise.”</p>
<p>That word alone seemed to have done the trick. He held her waist and leaned forward to lock lips. They closed their eyes as their mouths connected. Suzu could feel Sam using his powers on her, but it didn’t feel like Erik’s mind manipulation had. It was more like a spell that made her enjoy the kiss. She didn’t even care that she was losing energy. Everything felt too amazing.</p>
<p>There was something else happening. She felt like some of her happiness wasn’t a spell. It felt like a connection was solidifying between the two of them. She didn’t know what that connection was, but she found herself happy that it was growing and becoming stronger.</p>
<p>Sam pulled away, and they gasped for air. They didn’t bother to let go of each other.</p>
<p>He admitted, “I’m full, but… I don’t want to stop.”</p>
<p>“Me neither.” She hoped her expression conveyed just how serious she was about her answer. They were about to go in for round two when Suzu’s phone rang in her pocket. They separated as she dug her phone out and checked the caller ID. Seeing it reminded her where she was supposed to be. “Crap! It’s my dad!”</p>
<p>She answered the phone. “<em>Ciao?</em>”</p>
<p>Her father exclaimed on the other end of the call, “<em>Dove sei?! Hai dimenticato che devi fare da babysitter stasera?!</em>”</p>
<p>“<em>Mi sono completamente dimenticato! Sono a casa di Mika.</em>”</p>
<p>“<em>Torna indietro adesso! Tua madre ed io avremmo dovuto essere a quella riunione 15 minuti fa!</em>”</p>
<p>“<em>Lo so, lo so! Sarò lì!</em>”</p>
<p>“<em>Sbrigati</em>, Suzu!”</p>
<p>She hung up and stuffed her phone back in her pocket. “I’ve gotta go babysit my sister. Thank you for taking me up here, Sam.”</p>
<p>“Aomaris.”</p>
<p>Suzu wasn’t sure what that word meant. “What?”</p>
<p>“It’s my true name. My demon name. If you call out for me with it, I’ll be by your side in an instant. No matter what.”</p>
<p>She should’ve guessed Sam wasn’t a common name in the demon world, and Aomaris would turn a few heads on Earth.</p>
<p>She smiled, lighting up her whole face. “Catch you later, Tsundere.”</p>
<p>As she ran towards the open window, she heard Sam call out, “See ya, Dingus!”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Naomi had gotten Suzu’s text, but she still needed to get Simon. When she and Matthew returned, they found him swinging on the lobby’s chandelier.</p>
<p>“Simon!” Naomi exclaimed, “Get down before you hurt yourself!”</p>
<p>He laughed before jumping off. Matthew barely caught him before he landed on the floor. “Gotcha!”</p>
<p>She sighed in relief before asking her stuffed animal, “Are you ready to see your new home?”</p>
<p>Simon gazed at her in curiosity.</p>
<p>She tried to get him excited. “You’re going to love it! There’s lots of places to explore, some doll clothes, my parents...”</p>
<p>Naomi trailed off as she realized that she had completely overlooked a problem. She’s still keeping her parents in the dark about magic, yet she wanted to bring home a stuffed animal that could come to life.</p>
<p>She spoke her thoughts aloud. “How am I going to deal with my parents? They might have questions about where I got him. What if they notice extra food is missing, or see Simon move? I can’t tell them the truth. Not yet anyway.”</p>
<p>Matthew looked at the doll in his hands, and then back to Naomi. “To be honest, I’m not sure he’d behave in your house either.”</p>
<p>“Maybe I could bring him to school with me? No, it’d be boring being in my bag all day. And someone might notice him. There <em>has</em> to be an answer to all of this.”</p>
<p>He suggested, “What if he stays here until you have a plan?”</p>
<p>She was surprised. She figured Matthew would jump at an opportunity to get Simon out of the mansion. “Really?!”</p>
<p>“Yep. I can take care of him until you come back. I can even help you think of ways to hide him from your parents.”</p>
<p>Somehow, Malix crept back into her mind. She had forgotten that he was still out there. “It’s probably for the best. I already feel like I’m putting my parents in danger by going home tonight. I’d rather Simon stay where it’s safe.”</p>
<p>He tried to reassure her. “I doubt Malix knows where you live. Chicago’s a big place.”</p>
<p>“I hope you’re right, but just in case, do you have any advice on how to deal with devils?”</p>
<p>He was visibly brainstorming ideas for a few moments before he finally settled on something. “Just one. If you call for a demon, he’ll teleport right by you.”</p>
<p>It’d be hard to explain to her parents how someone popped into their house out of nowhere, but it was better than them being dead. “How do I do that?”</p>
<p>“It’s easy. You just say their name, but you’ve gotta say it like you’re calling them over from another room, which I guess is kinda what you’re doing anyway.”</p>
<p>“All I have to do is yell, ‘Matthew’ and you’d be right there?”</p>
<p>He looked a little guilty about something. “Actually, no... Matthew’s a name I chose when I came to the human world. You’d have to call out, ‘Zecaeru.’”</p>
<p>She whispered, “Zecaeru.” It was a lovely name that rolled off the tongue. It’d be easy for her to remember. Mostly because of its connection to Matthew.</p>
<p>“It’s getting late. You better get back before your parents start worrying. I promise I’ll take good care of Simon.”</p>
<p>She hugged him, careful not to squish the doll between them. “I know you will.” She stepped back and bent over so that she was level with Simon. “I promise, I’ll be back when I’m done with school. Be good, okay?”</p>
<p>He nodded, but made a sad noise. Naomi kissed him on the forehead and tickled his stomach, causing him to giggle.</p>
<p>Matthew joked, “Where’s my forehead kiss?”</p>
<p>She knew he was joking, but she stood on her toes and pecked his forehead. Matthew froze right under her lips, but Naomi could somehow tell that she hadn’t gone too far. “Goodnight, you two! Sweet dreams!”</p>
<p>She made her way to the door before pausing and turning around. Simon waved to her, which she happily returned before stepping outside and closing the door behind her.</p>
<p>Matthew finally managed to utter out while staring straight ahead, “G-goodnight...”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For those of you wanting a translation of Suzu and her dad's conversation, here it is:</p>
<p>"Hello?"</p>
<p>"Where are you?! Did you forget that you need to babysit tonight?!"</p>
<p>"I completely forgot! I'm at Mika's house."</p>
<p>"Come back now! Your mother and I should've been at that meeting 15 minutes ago!"</p>
<p>"I know, I know! I will be there!"</p>
<p>"Hurry up, Suzu!"</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Monday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello!</p>
<p>I've been looking forward to posting this chapter! This is where Malix and his gang come back in, but I took it in a slightly different direction than the game did. I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>James had just revealed his true name to her, and Mika had a feeling she’d be using it. For now, she had to get to school. She climbed into the backseat of Naomi’s car, feeling a little flustered yet honored.</p>
<p>Naomi reversed out of the driveway as soon as Mika was buckled in. Suzu had been unusually quiet on the way to the mansion. She hoped retelling K’s story would distract her from whatever was bothering her rather than worsen her mood. “Now that we’re all here, I need to say something.”</p>
<p>Mika relaxed into her seat. “What’s up?”</p>
<p>She hesitated, trying to find the right words. “I’ve been thinking all night about how to go about this, but I still don’t know what to say.”</p>
<p>Suzu answered, “We can take it. Just spit it out.”</p>
<p>“Okay... um... Mika’s grandpa and K brought the boys to the human world.”</p>
<p>If Suzu or Mika had been driving, they would’ve slammed on the brakes or swerved to the side of the road. Suzu’s familial troubles left her head, replaced by this new information.</p>
<p>Mika admitted, “I found some of Grandpa’s books about magic yesterday. But I didn’t think he knew enough magic to do <em>that</em>.” Then again, there were a lot of books. The instructions for connecting two worlds were probably in one of them.</p>
<p>Suzu said, “But K? We’ve all been close to her for years. How does she know about magic, or anything supernatural for that matter?”</p>
<p>Naomi glanced at Suzu before returning her eyes to the road ahead. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she answered, “K isn’t exactly... human...”</p>
<p>“WHAT?!” yelled Suzu, causing her friends to jump at the sudden noise.</p>
<p>Mika exclaimed, “Then what is she?!”</p>
<p>Naomi answered, “She couldn’t tell us. She says even saying why she can’t would get her in big trouble. By trouble, I think she meant that she would face something severe. She promised me that she’d reveal everything to us as soon as possible.”</p>
<p>Suzu slumped in her seat. “You can’t trust anyone these days. What else is going on behind our backs?!”</p>
<p>Naomi defended K, “I know this is quite a shock, but she had to have had her reasons for not saying anything. We’ve known her for years, and she’s been nothing but kind to us.”</p>
<p>Mika wondered aloud, “Why hide everything, though? If there are other planes of existence, magic, and creatures most people believe aren’t real, why not let everyone know about it?”</p>
<p>“Well, K talked a little about that too. Apparently, everything that isn’t human wants to keep magic, along with their existence, a secret. If certain knowledge gets into the wrong hands, that person’s memory is wiped... Or they’re just killed, but I don’t like to think about that.”</p>
<p>“What about Grandpa?”</p>
<p>Naomi explained, “Your grandpa had a lot more energy and inherent magic than an average human, so he was granted the ability to study magic. K kept on calling him a ‘warlock.’ He was able to use different kinds of spells, but he was very gifted with demon magic.”</p>
<p>Suzu looked back at Mika. “Wait. What killed your grandpa?”</p>
<p>Mika didn’t remember being told his cause of death. He was buried the same day he was pronounced dead at the hospital. She wasn’t even sure an autopsy was performed. “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>Naomi said, “K has a hunch, but she can’t say for sure. I think she’s been investigating it.”</p>
<p>Suzu asked, “Was he murdered because he knew too much?”</p>
<p>“He couldn’t have been. K says he was in the clear. The closest he ever came to losing his memories was when Mika’s dad found out he was studying demon magic.”</p>
<p>Mika felt dizzy and nauseous all of a sudden. “My dad knows about magic too?!”</p>
<p>“Not really. K says your dad doesn’t believe in magic, but he thought your grandpa was tangling with something dangerous. That’s apparently why they didn’t talk to each other.”</p>
<p>She wasn’t so convinced. What was it her father had said after he slapped her? <em>“You did </em>not<em> know my father! You did not know what he was capable of!” </em>Maybe he did know about Grandpa’s powers. She was tempted to ask him, but she doubted she’d get anywhere with him. She also didn’t want to risk losing her memories for snitching about magic.</p>
<p>Mika asked, “There’s just one thing I don’t get. Why did he and K bring the boys to Earth?”</p>
<p>Naomi turned into the school parking lot. “Basically, your grandfather accidentally got into contact with Damien, who wanted to leave the Abyssal Plains. After some planning, Mr. Anderson and K helped the boys over and gave them fake IDs. He’s been funding the boys’ travels ever since.”</p>
<p>Suzu practically growled. “This is crazy. All of it!”</p>
<p>Her friends were inclined to agree. The car parked and turned off, they had no choice but to end the conversation. There were too many ears in and around the building to talk about things so classified.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Their lockers were in the same area, but Mika’s was a little further down the hall from her friends. She had gathered all of her things and was walking towards them when someone’s foot hooked around her ankle. Mika tumbled to the floor, her things scattering everywhere.</p>
<p>“OW!”</p>
<p>From the ground, she searched for what had tripped her. Behind her, Lisette was looking at her with a triumphant smirk as her gaggle of friends giggled. It probably wasn’t Lisette who tripped her, but she was clearly the mastermind nonetheless.</p>
<p>Her friends had made it to her by the time she was back on her feet. Suzu asked in concern, “Hey! Are you okay?!”</p>
<p>“Who did that?!” Naomi demanded to know.</p>
<p>No one stepped forward to take the blame. It wouldn’t have mattered if they did. The trio had already directed all of their anger at Lisette.</p>
<p>Suzu was ready to throw hands. “Why you little-!”</p>
<p>Naomi, knowing where this was going, grabbed her arm. “Suzu, don’t!”</p>
<p>Mika felt rage bubbling under the surface. She felt the need to do something, but wasn’t exactly sure on the best course of action. A tug-of-war took place within her between two decisions. She could either be the bigger person and walk away, as she was taught to do growing up, or she could use her taekwondo to finally stand up for herself. She didn’t have much time to decide which, her window of opportunity closing fast.</p>
<p>Oddly, the tug-of-war match didn’t end with a winner. A third option was made available thanks to her grandfather’s books, overshadowing the other two choices. Mika felt herself getting in touch with something in her soul, and magic coursed its way through her veins as she glared at her bully. She froze at what she saw.</p>
<p>There was a dark purple aura surrounding Lisette while also towering over her. Mika could barely see the woman within it, the red irises being the most visible part. She could also hear a woman humming an unfamiliar tune. It sounded like a chilling lullaby.</p>
<p>As Naomi picked up Mika’s things, Suzu decided to check in on her again. “Anderson, you alright?”</p>
<p>Mika didn’t answer, too transfixed on the sight and music. She was worried that if she stopped concentrating, the aura would disappear. She needed to know what this was, and what Lisette had to do with it.</p>
<p>Naomi was about to hand Mika her things when she noticed how much her face had paled. “Hey, are you okay?”</p>
<p>At this point, everyone in the hall was staring at Mika, unsure of what was going on. Some of Lisette's gaggle started whispering to each other in confusion. Suzu, wanting to help out, stood between Mika and Lisette. With the woman blocked, the aura and humming faded away.</p>
<p>Mika shook her head in an effort to clear her thoughts. “Let’s go. We’ll be late for class.”</p>
<p>She rushed off, almost running away. Suzu and Naomi scrambled to keep up with her until they were out of the clique’s sight. Mika came to a sudden halt, panting as she pushed her back against the wall.</p>
<p>As Naomi handed Mika her things, Suzu said, “Sheesh, Anderson! You look like you saw a ghost!”</p>
<p>Mika clutched onto her books, her knuckles turning as white as her face. “I... I think I might’ve...”</p>
<hr/>
<p>The rest of school went on as normal. No devils made any surprise attacks and no more strange auras appeared. Mika and Naomi noticed that Suzu was in a very rotten mood, but they didn’t push her for answers. If it was anything magic related that was bothering her, school wasn’t the place to discuss it. They’d have to interrogate her when they got home.</p>
<p>As the final bell rang, Mika’s phone vibrated, signaling that she had a text. Opening her messages, she was surprised to see who it was from. “I got a text from Dad?”</p>
<p>Naomi was searching her locker, but stopped to ask, “Is it about the party?”</p>
<p>Mika read her text aloud, “I’ll be picking you up today. Make sure you’re ready to go when I get there.”</p>
<p>Suzu looked over Mika’s shoulder to reread the text. “Huh? Why?”</p>
<p>Naomi shut her locker. “Did something happen?”</p>
<p>Mika pocketed her phone. “Not that I can think of. It’s so weird, though. Dad prefers talking on the phone over texting.” She shrugged off any uneasiness she felt. “I better wait for him. You guys go ahead to the mansion.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure you don’t want us to wait with you? Once your dad picks you up, Suzu and I could hang out at my house until you get home.”</p>
<p>“Nah. Simon and Matthew are waiting for you. I’m sure I won’t be long.”</p>
<p>Suzu asked, “You’ll call us if something happens?”</p>
<p>She didn’t need to elaborate. None of them had forgotten about Malix and his gang. Mika may have had personal protection, but that didn’t mean she was invincible to anything he had that wasn’t Hell-borne magic.</p>
<p>Putting a hand on each of her friends’ backs, she gently led them to the front door. “Go. I promise, I’ll be fine. My dad probably just wants me to tour the company or something.”</p>
<p>Naomi said, “If you’re sure...”</p>
<p>“I am,” she lied.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Despite Naomi’s efforts to strike up a conversation, Suzu hadn’t said much during the drive to the mansion. It was really worrying her, and she had no idea what to do. Suzu hadn’t acknowledged her odd behavior once during the day, so she probably didn’t want to talk about it. Usually, Mika would lead the effort to fix any problem Suzu had. Naomi didn’t know how to push for information without shutting her down even more. She was going to need help if she wanted to console her.</p>
<p>They entered the mansion to see the brothers waiting for them in the lobby. Matthew was holding Simon, who was bouncing up and down at the sight of Naomi.</p>
<p>James asked, “Where’s Mika?”</p>
<p>Suzu shrugged off her backpack and set it by the door. “Her dad needed her for something. Excuse me.”</p>
<p>She walked right by the brothers and up the stairs. Rather than go down the hall to Mika’s room, she went in the opposite direction toward the guest rooms.</p>
<p>Naomi took Simon out of Matthew’s arms and gave him a gentle hug. She said to the boys, “Suzu’s been acting weird all day. The only time she’s been normal was when something distracted her.”</p>
<p>Damien revealed, “She’s mostly thinking about her parents and a casino.”</p>
<p>“Her parents own a casino downtown. Is something wrong with it? Wait... maybe I shouldn’t pry with your powers... That seems unfair...”</p>
<p>Surprisingly, it was Sam who made his way up the steps. “I’ll go talk to her.”</p>
<p>Naomi, shocked by the offer, asked, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”</p>
<p>He didn’t answer, but once he was out of earshot, Erik said, “Sam has become quite... enchanted by her.”</p>
<p>“He has?!”</p>
<p>“Of course, just as James and Matthew-”</p>
<p>Matthew interrupted, “What he means to say is, Sam really wants to help her. It’ll be okay.”</p>
<p>Naomi wanted to believe him. She trusted the boys so far, but did Sam know what he was doing? Only time would tell, and the best thing to do until then was to distract herself. Luckily, she knew just how to do that.</p>
<p>She told Simon, “I brought some clothes over to see if we can find you some formal wear. Would you like to try them on?”</p>
<p>He looked terrified, but didn’t make any effort to escape as Naomi carried him upstairs. As everyone separated to do their own thing, only Damien and James remained in the lobby.</p>
<p>Damien told him, "She'll call you if she needs help."</p>
<p>"I know." His gaze settled on the front doors. "But I'm still worried."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Suzu sat on the roof, hating life. Even the pretty view couldn’t make her forget what she arrived home to the night before. She never felt like the world was so unjust. There were devils after her friends <em>and </em>her parents were in deep shit. The worst part was, there really wasn’t anything she could do about either of those problems.</p>
<p>A part of her wanted to tell Mika and Naomi, but they had enough on their plates right now. Maybe if there weren’t devils, recently dead family members, a mysterious K, and magic transforming the world as they knew it, she would confess. For now, that was out of the question.</p>
<p>“Mind if I join you?”</p>
<p>She looked over to see Sam standing next to her. “Sorry. I guess this is your spot. I can go sulk somewhere else.”</p>
<p>Before she had a chance to stand, he sat next to her. “You’re fine here.”</p>
<p>They gazed at the forest. There wasn’t a sunset accompanying it this time, but it was beautiful in its own right. The trees were unmoving due to a lack of wind, and birds would sometimes flutter into view before disappearing into the green canopy. It would be rather peaceful if Suzu wasn’t having a crisis.</p>
<p>Sam mentioned, “Naomi’s worried about you.”</p>
<p>Suzu answered nonchalantly, “Patterson worries about a lot of things.”</p>
<p>“Damien said you were thinking about the family casino.”</p>
<p>Dammit. She hadn’t forgotten about Damien’s telepathy, so she had tried hiding her problems from him. It sounded like she failed. “What else did he tell you?”</p>
<p>“Nothing. He didn’t get the whole picture.” Suzu would’ve been perfectly content with staring at the wilderness some more, but Sam cleared his throat after a few seconds. “So, care to tell me what’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“Why do you care?”</p>
<p>He smirked at her. “Tsundere. Remember?”</p>
<p>She chuckled. “Right.” Her smile disappeared and she sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”</p>
<p>“I get that, but if you need my help-”</p>
<p>She shot to her feet as she practically yelled down at him, “You can’t help me, okay?!”</p>
<p>He stared back up at her in slight surprise, causing guilt to wash over her at what she had done. Sam only wanted to know what was wrong, but how could she tell him if she couldn’t even tell her lifelong friends? Slowly, she sat back down, not looking at him.</p>
<p>He said, “You’re not okay. Talk to me.”</p>
<p>The way he said it wasn’t forceful, but it left little room for her to argue. Looking at him, she saw his want-his need-to do something. It was flattering, but she couldn’t help but think about how disappointed he’d be once he realized there was nothing he could do to fix this. Still, there was only one way to get him off her back.</p>
<p>She began, “I take it you know what a casino is?” At his nod, she continued, “Well, it was my dad’s dream to own one ever since he emigrated from Italy. Language barriers kept him from doing that by himself. Luckily, my mom’s pure Chicagoan, so they were able to open a casino together. They’ve been running it for as long as I can remember... and I’m expected to work there once I graduate.”</p>
<p>“You say that like it’s a bad thing. Will your parents not pay you or something?”</p>
<p>“Tch. I’ll get paid. In blood money.”</p>
<p>“Blood money?” he asked.</p>
<p>“How familiar are you with Al Capone or the mafia?”</p>
<p>He seemed to consider her question for a moment. “I can’t say I’ve heard of this Al Capone guy, but I’ve seen <em>The Godfather</em>.”</p>
<p>She explained, “Al Capone is Chicago’s most notorious mob boss. He’s been dead for a long time, but the Capone ‘family’ is still going strong. There were always jerks at school saying that my family was part of the mob, and I was always ready to fight someone dumb enough to say it to my face. If it weren’t for Anderson and Patterson, I probably would’ve gotten suspended a few times by now. My mom swore up and down that she had no relation to the Capone family, and until last night, I was convinced she wasn't lying.”</p>
<p>“What happened?”</p>
<p>“I was supposed to babysit my sister last night while my parents went to a meeting. I completely forgot about it, so my parents weren’t able to leave on time. Apparently, the people they were meeting with got impatient and decided to show up at our house instead. By the time I got home, I saw my parents talking with a couple of mafia suits. They claimed that we were part of the family thanks to a marriage and a few contracts.”</p>
<p>“Do you think that’s true?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. Either way, they made my folks sign a ‘protection license’ before they left.”</p>
<p>“Protection license," he repeated. "And what exactly are they protecting you from?”</p>
<p>“Themselves. Basically, we pay part of our profit to the ‘family’ and we won’t lose business or get bombed.” She clenched her hands into fists. “Look, I knew my family was a bit messed up, but... This is not what I need right now!”</p>
<p>He didn’t say anything as she slammed her fists onto her thighs. Now that she was talking, her feelings began to pour out.</p>
<p>“This is bullshit! I was gonna be normal, gonna be happy, I was finally gonna... UGH!” She leaned her head forward, covering her face with her hands.</p>
<p>She heard Sam say, “I think any chance of you being normal was gone the moment you met me and my brothers, but you can still be happy.”</p>
<p>Her answer was muffled by her hands. “How? I can’t let my friends be affiliated with ‘the mafia kid’ for the rest of the school year. I should really just cut ties with Mika and Naomi. It’d be the selfless thing to do. And then I have to help my parents while mobsters are looming over us.”</p>
<p>She felt him gently grab her shoulders. She looked up to see him gazing at her with the most determined and serious face she’d ever seen on him.</p>
<p>He spoke in a way that made sure Suzu remembered every word. “You are not ‘the mafia kid,’ and even if you were, your friends would <em>not </em>want you to leave them. I promise, everything is going to work out. You and your family won’t be threatened by the mob much longer.”</p>
<p>“What makes you say that?”</p>
<p>“Because I’m going to make sure of it.”</p>
<p>Suzu laughed a little, but it was devoid of any humor. “If you got the mafia out of our lives, I’d marry you on the spot.”</p>
<p>“You don’t believe me.”</p>
<p>“I believe you mean it, but I just don’t see how you could. Even the police can’t do anything, and it’s their damn job to take down mobs.”</p>
<p>He released her as he replied, “I promise I’ll handle it.”</p>
<p>She still didn’t think he had the ability to fight the mob, but she appreciated the sentiment. “Thanks. I feel a lot better now. I guess I just needed to vent.”</p>
<p>“No problem. I’m always willing to lend an ear.”</p>
<p>This was a completely different Sam than the one she pummeled with her backpack. The switch from not caring about her feelings to this was nothing short of fascinating. She herself went from hating his guts to wanting some sort of a relationship. The kiss they shared on that very rooftop wasn’t far from her mind. It had been heavenly, and she wouldn’t have minded continuing their make out session at another point.</p>
<p>Suzu wasn’t sure now was the right time to start dating him. As much as she liked him, it felt like they were still sizing each other up. Not for a fight, but to see if they were compatible as a couple or as friends. Once they were done with that, she could possibly act on her newfound crush. For now, she would just enjoy the view with him.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Simon could only waddle in the tux that Naomi had brought over. He observed himself in the bathroom mirror, looking at his reflection with disgust.</p>
<p>Naomi frowned at his discomfort. “I guess they don’t make doll clothes with dexterity in mind. Let me help you out.”</p>
<p>It took half a minute of tugging and struggling, but Simon was eventually freed from his tux prison. Nothing she had brought fit him so far, and the poor stuffed animal looked done with it all.</p>
<p>“We still have one more thing to try...” Putting the tux away in her backpack, she pulled out a good length of black ribbon. She knelt down by the bathroom sink and turned Simon so that he was facing her. He didn’t look happy, but he grudgingly stood still for her as she tied the ribbon around his neck. “There we go! What do you think?!”</p>
<p>She watched as he turned back around to see himself in the mirror. His expression went from bored to stunned. All Naomi had done was use the ribbon to make a bowtie, but it really looked perfect on him. He grinned from ear to ear at his appearance.</p>
<p>Naomi couldn’t help but coo and compliment him. “Aww! You look so handsome in your little bowtie! You’d just blow all of the competition away!”</p>
<p>Simon stuck out his chest and put his paws on his hips. He looked mighty proud of himself in that pose, and she thought he had a right to be. He had gone through a lot of outfits with minimal complaining, and now he had finally found something he liked.</p>
<p>There was a knock on Mika’s bedroom door. “Come in!”</p>
<p>She saw Matthew step inside thanks to the bathroom mirror. He said, “Suzu’s in a better mood. Whatever Sam did worked.”</p>
<p>Things were just getting better. “That’s wonderful! Remind me to give Sam a hug!”</p>
<p>Matthew entered the bathroom and gave a thumbs up to Simon. “Looking sharp there, Mr. Tabby!”</p>
<p>Simon made a happy noise as Naomi said, “He was so good and patient the whole time! I think someone deserves a cookie!”</p>
<p>Matthew raised an eyebrow. “Really? How did you get him to listen to you?”</p>
<p>“All he needed was some encouragement.”</p>
<p>“Wow. I need to keep that in mind for the future.”</p>
<p>“Why? What have you been doing?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “Oh, you know... chasing him around the mansion until we’re both exhausted.”</p>
<p>She giggled as she undid the ribbon. “Go ahead and get yourself a cookie, Simon.”</p>
<p>He didn’t have to be told twice. He hopped off the counter and scurried toward the kitchen, leaving Matthew and Naomi alone. She rolled up the ribbon and placed it in her bag.</p>
<p>Matthew asked, “Where’d you get that ribbon?”</p>
<p>“It was part of my Halloween costume last year. I found it while I was looking for some outfits this morning.”</p>
<p>“Ah, yes, Spooky Day. The best time of the year! After Christmas, of course.”</p>
<p>Naomi was going to reveal her favorite holiday, but her words got stuck in her throat when she saw her reflection. Some of her makeup had rubbed off during the day, allowing her black eye to make a slight appearance. Deciding to check the damage, she turned on the faucet and used the water to rub the rest of the makeup off. It looked better than it had yesterday, so that was a plus.</p>
<p>He asked, “Does it still hurt?”</p>
<p>She turned off the water. “Not as much.”</p>
<p>“I wish there was something I could do to make it better.”</p>
<p>While drying her face with a hand towel, she answered, “Don’t worry. It’ll be gone in a week or so. I decided to tell everyone I got it during PE. I think a softball to the eye is a believable story.”</p>
<p>Matthew’s face brightened as if he thought of something ingenious. “It was the top of the ninth. Two outs. All bases were loaded. The home team only had the next inning to get ahead. The visiting team sent their best batter up in the hopes she would hit a homerun. Little did they know, the resulting fly ball was heading straight towards the great Naomi Patterson! Any other player would’ve let the ball go over the fence, but not the greatest athlete of all time. Her softball instincts kicking in, Naomi Patterson jumped in the way. The ball hit her in the eye, but that wasn’t going to stop the mightiest player in the world. Straining to see, Naomi Patterson was able to catch the ball after it bounced off her face.”</p>
<p>He waved his arms as he continued, “Victory was in sight! The crowd goes wild as Naomi Patterson’s team lifts her up in the air in celebration!” He cupped his hands around his mouth as he quietly mimicked the roar of a cheering stadium.</p>
<p>Naomi giggled. “I wasn’t going to make it that dramatic, but I like the way you think.”</p>
<p>Damien’s voice boomed throughout the mansion before Matthew could even think of a reply. “MIKA’S IN DANGER!”</p>
<hr/>
<p>The devils had just cut her binds and taken off her blindfold. Blinking a few times to adjust to the light, she deduced that she was in some abandoned warehouse. The giant room had no furniture or decorations save for the graffiti on the walls.</p>
<p>Malix was standing a few feet in front of her, looking nothing short of ecstatic. “Nicely done!” he told his gang.</p>
<p>Mika looked around. There were over ten devils in the warehouse, destroying any chance of her running away. Her taekwondo could take care of a few of them, but she doubted she’d be able to take down enough for her to escape.</p>
<p>He cackled. “I’m sure those little shits will come running to find you when they realize your daddy never picked you up. They’ll search everywhere for you!”</p>
<p>She should’ve known that text was a trap. Not only was her dad never late, but it created a situation where she was alone. On the bright side, since they abducted her instead of Suzu or Naomi, they must not realize that she has magic protecting her.</p>
<p>Malix took out his gun, pointing it so that the barrel was aiming between Mika’s eyes. “It’ll be so funny when they find your dead body instead.”</p>
<p>The gun wasn’t going to do anything to her, but she wasn’t about to reveal her secret protection so fast. Luckily, she knew just what to do. “RAESTRAO!”</p>
<p>As soon as his name left her lips, the room was engulfed by a blinding, purple light. She and the devils shielded their eyes from its intensity. Mika could only hear Malix’s surprised "What the?" and Eris’ pained groan, but something in her heart told her that James was there too.</p>
<p>Gusts of wind joined the light, nearly knocking Mika off her feet. She tried to peek through her arms, but it was still too bright. Staring at the sun would’ve been easier. When the wind finally died down and the light disappeared, the scene had drastically changed.</p>
<p>James had appeared, just as he promised. He was holding a golden gun to the back of Malix’s head. The wind and light from earlier had caused Malix to lower his own gun, so it was no longer aimed at Mika. The tables had turned.</p>
<p>James attempted to comfort her. “It’s alright now. I’m here.”</p>
<p>Malix could only stare behind him. The golden gun was ready to shoot if he tried anything. He was more trapped than Mika was just moments before.</p>
<p>His voice no longer looking to ease anyone's fears, James spoke to Malix. “Well, it seems I finally have your cooperation, Malix. It took long enough.”</p>
<p>Malix laughed as he gathered what Mika observed to be false confidence. “You piece of demon shit. I could shoot you right now.”</p>
<p>James wasn’t falling for it. “And what’s stopping me from shooting you first? If you so much as flinch, I will pull the trigger and end you once and for all.”</p>
<p>The other devils were glued to their spots, unsure of what to do. Eris was the only one amused, walking to stand beside Mika. It was a bit confusing. She had been more than willing to kidnap someone for Malix earlier, yet she was smirking when he was in danger of losing his life.</p>
<p>Malix growled before asking, “What <em>is </em>stopping you, pretty boy?”</p>
<p>He answered, “Just me wanting to do this.”</p>
<p>With no hesitation, James moved the gun and pulled the trigger. It shot at just the right angle to hit both of Malix’s hands. The devil’s gun dropped to the ground, disappearing in a black flame like it had the night of the party. The pain caused him to crouch and hold his wounded hands to his chest.</p>
<p>“YOU SON OF A BI-” Malix couldn’t finish his sentence. James had aimed his gun back at Malix’s head, forcing him to shut up.</p>
<p>James said, “I didn’t say you could speak. Do you want me to shoot you in the throat?”</p>
<p>As Malix growled at his predicament, Mika stared at the situation in shock. While it was completely warranted, she didn’t expect James to toy with Malix like this. Either he was drawing this out as revenge, or he was on a sort of power trip.</p>
<p>“Now, I am going to give you three seconds to get on your knees to beg for forgiveness, or the next bullet goes through your pathetic Hell-borne skull.”</p>
<p>Malix hesitated, but did eventually end up on his knees. All of the devils seemed to hold their breaths, waiting for their leader to make his move. Before he could beg, there was another gust of wind, but it was much weaker than the one that accompanied James. Everyone looked in the direction it was originating from to see the rest of the brothers, Suzu, and Naomi with Simon on her shoulder.</p>
<p>Naomi happily exclaimed, “You got him!”</p>
<p>James rapidly shifted his attention back to Malix. Unfortunately, the devil recovered from his surprise first and wrapped his arms around James’ legs in what could’ve been part of his begging. Instead, he yanked them in a way that caused James to fall backwards. He dropped his gun, but it disappeared into thin air before it even hit the ground. Malix got on top of James, wrapping his hands around his throat.</p>
<p>He yelled at his gang, “DON’T JUST STAND THERE LIKE A BUNCH OF PUSSIES! ATTACK!”</p>
<p>All of the devils but Eris rushed at their enemies. James managed to throw Malix off of himself, knocking him into another devil. A flurry of fighting ensued. Sam used his super speed to charge at a duo of devils, throwing one into the wall before engaging the other in hand-to-hand combat. Damien melted into his shadow as ethereal tendrils sprouted behind Erik. The tendrils shot at a few devils, lifting them into the air.</p>
<p>As Mika put her taekwondo to use, Suzu ran at a lone devil that had a baseball bat. She grabbed onto the bat and attempted to wrench it out of his hands, but it was no use. He laughed at her futile attempt, but a knife digging into his shoulder changed his tune. He screamed in pain, letting go of his weapon.</p>
<p>With the bat in hand, she ran over to Naomi and Simon. “Here, Patterson!”</p>
<p>She tossed the bat at her friend, who caught it in the nick of time. “What about you?!”</p>
<p>“I’ll be fine!” she exclaimed as she ran at a devil sneaking up on Sam. She jumped on the monster’s back, wrapping her arms around his neck in a chokehold.</p>
<p>The battle was in full swing. Mika’s taekwondo, Naomi’s bat, and the boys’ powers were all at work. Simon stayed perched on Naomi’s shoulder, cheering her on with little noises, but also seeming to search for something. As the fighting got more intense, the boys (and Damien’s shadow clones) changed appearance. Their clothes vanished, they grew horns, colored patterns appeared on their skin, and when they talked, their voices had a slight, deep echo. The girls didn’t have time to ask questions. They were much too engrossed in protecting themselves and defeating the gang.</p>
<p>Suzu had kicked a devil in the groin when she felt someone grab her throat and lift her off the ground. Her back slammed into the wall, and she found herself staring down at the devil she had had a chokehold on earlier. She tried to pry his hand off of her throat, but it did nothing but widen his grin. Glaring, she spat a wad of saliva at him.</p>
<p>Using his free hand to wipe the spit off his face, he said, “Quite the spitfire, huh? I can’t wait to- GUH!”</p>
<p>Sam had managed to get between them and rammed one of his horns into the devil’s abdomen, forcing him to drop Suzu. She watched as Sam whipped his head to the side like a bull tossing a matador. In this case, the unnamed devil was the unfortunate matador.</p>
<p>Suzu watched as the blood coating Sam’s horn dripped down onto the floor. “You’ve got a smidge of blood on your head knife.”</p>
<p>As he smirked at her, another devil swung a piece of plywood at his head. In a flash, Sam had caught the plywood in his mouth. Biting down and jerking his head, it snapped under his teeth, tiny splinters of wood flying everywhere. The devil barely registered what had happened before Suzu drop kicked him.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Matthew was in a knife fight with another devil. So far, he was able to hold his own, but every now and then, he’d be forced to throw a knife at an enemy threatening his friends and brothers. He was wearing out faster than the devil who had him as his only opponent.</p>
<p>The devil taunted, “Getting tired? It <em>is</em> past your naptime.”</p>
<p>Matthew dodged a stab. “Tired? I’m just getting warmed up!”</p>
<p>Out of nowhere, Naomi swung her bat into the devil’s face, giving Matthew the opportunity to stab him in the arm. “YOW!”</p>
<p>As she frantically looked around to see if another devil was going to attack, Matthew said, “The great Naomi Patterson hits a homerun!”</p>
<p>Despite not understanding the inside joke, Simon cheered from his perch.</p>
<p>Across the room, Erik was using his tendrils to block attacks and to throw enemies. Eris wasn’t far away from him, but she didn’t attempt to jump him. She was casually leaning against the wall and observing the fight.</p>
<p>Erik asked, “You’re not going to join?”</p>
<p>She replied, “And miss out on the show? I think not, Charming.”</p>
<p>At her answer, he used a tendril to drop a devil into a group of Damien’s shadow clones.</p>
<p>As the devil screamed in fright, Eris smiled. “Quality entertainment.”</p>
<p>Elsewhere, Malix and James were locked in combat. Mika had never seen Malix fight, but it looked like his bloody hands weren’t slowing him down. Either he healed fast, or he was a much better fighter than she anticipated.</p>
<p>As she fought a devil, she overheard Malix and James’ conversation nearby. Malix laughed. “Let me guess. You’re fucking the one with black hair.”</p>
<p>She could barely hear James growl over the sound of her foot connecting with a devil’s face.</p>
<p>“Oh ho! You just <em>wanna </em>fuck her! I’d go for the redhead myself. A lot more innocence to take. But your bitch is very pretty~”</p>
<p>James exclaimed, “One way or another, I’m sending you back to Hell, Malix!”</p>
<p>A few feet away, Naomi had used the baseball bat to push a devil toward one of Damien’s shadows. She cringed at the result of her actions, but did her best to focus on what to do next. At the word ‘Malix,’ Simon perked his head up and looked in James and Malix’s direction.</p>
<p>Malix said, “The only way I’m going back to Hell is with one of your heads-“</p>
<p>He was interrupted by the cutest battle cry anyone in the warehouse had ever heard. Malix turned his head to see where the noise was coming from, but it only allowed the attacker access to his face. Simon had launched himself off of Naomi’s shoulder and was soaring through the air with his arms and legs out to his sides. In mere moments, he had collided with Malix’s face, completely covering it.</p>
<p>Malix flailed his arms and blindly stumbled around as he yelled. He attempted to pull the doll off, but Simon had a firm grip. His plastic knife, normally harmless, proved somewhat useful as he kept swatting Malix near his eye. If Simon’s shout hadn’t stopped someone from fighting, the scene that ensued it had.</p>
<p>“WHAT IS THIS THING?!” Malix screamed.</p>
<p>The devils kept switching between looking at their leader and each other. Mika didn’t understand their reactions. Not interfering when a gun was involved was one thing, but all Simon had was his knife. Why not help Malix pry him off?</p>
<p>Damien reappeared from the shadows, saying, “Simon knows it was Malix who hurt Naomi the other night. This is his revenge.”</p>
<p>Finally, Malix was able to rip Simon off his face and hurl him back at Naomi. She managed to catch him without dropping the bat. The blood from Malix’s bullet wounds stained his white fur, almost making it look like he was bleeding out of his sides. The knife didn’t do much damage, but there were little bite marks and scratches on Malix’s face.</p>
<p>Malix growled, enraged. “That does it! I’m killing the deformed rat first!”</p>
<p>Naomi hugged Simon to her chest protectively. She pointed the bat at Malix as if it were a sword, trying not to show any fear.</p>
<p>Malix hadn’t even taken a step when he noticed something. “Where the fuck are you guys going?!”</p>
<p>Sure enough, his gang was walking, little by little, out of the warehouse. None of them acknowledged that their leader had said anything. They left until the only devils remaining were Eris and Malix.</p>
<p>He ordered, “GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!”</p>
<p>Eris said, “They’re not going to listen to you anymore, Malix.”</p>
<p>“What?!”</p>
<p>“Do you really think any of them would continue to respect you? You just had your ass handed to you by a creature smaller than my boot.”</p>
<p>“I’d like to see any one of those wimps take on that thing!”</p>
<p>“It’s over, Malix! You’ve failed!” And with that, she followed the rest of the gang out of the warehouse. Malix could only stare after her in disbelief.</p>
<p>Matthew laughed. “Taken down by a toy! Gotta be humiliating!”</p>
<p>Sam smirked. “I would pay good money to get that fight on film.”</p>
<p>James got directly in front of Malix, towering over him. “Now that you’ve lost, I suggest you return to Hell, or would you rather continue to fight a losing battle?”</p>
<p>To everyone’s surprise Malix howled with uncontrollable laughter. It solidified the girls’ belief that he was an absolute lunatic. He was outnumbered eight to one, and yet he was cackling like he had this fight in the bag.</p>
<p>Damien, most likely due to his powers, knew the cause wasn’t madness. “James!”</p>
<p>James didn’t even get the chance to inquire what Damien was warning him about. In the blink of an eye, Malix’s gun reappeared in his hand, the end of the barrel pressed against James’ forehead hard enough to leave a red indentation. The air became still as everyone took in what had just happened.</p>
<p>Malix said, “The only reason I didn’t get my gun out earlier was because I didn’t want to accidentally shoot my reinforcements, but with those traitors out of the way, there’s nothing stopping me now.”</p>
<p>For Mika, the world slowed down. She couldn’t just stand there and watch the man she was growing feelings for die. Taekwondo wouldn’t work from this distance, nor did she have a useful weapon. Unless...</p>
<p>She called upon the powers she used on Lisette earlier. There had to have been something she had read in her grandfather’s office that would work. Anything.</p>
<p>She shot her hand out towards Malix, acting on instinct. “<em>Dearmo!</em>”</p>
<p>The gun turned to ash in Malix’s hand. Shocked, he watched as what was once his weapon slipped between his fingers and onto the floor. Some of the ash even fell into his bullet wound. Acting fast, James summoned his golden gun and shot Malix under his left eye. Malix fell backwards, clutching the new injury as he screamed. Sam was there in an instant, using his foot to kick away Malix’s hands and crush his bleeding cheek.</p>
<p>“Let me kill him,” said Sam, “I’ll make sure he lives long enough to regret ever meeting us.”</p>
<p>Despite everything Malix had done, Naomi didn’t want to see anyone die a slow death. She didn’t want to see any death at all. Just the thought of witnessing Malix’s demise made her want to vomit. She dropped the bat and covered Simon’s eyes. There was no way she was going to let him see this.</p>
<p>James shook his head. “No. The sooner he’s dead, the sooner this is over.</p>
<p>Malix chuckled. “The sooner what’s over?” Sam moved his foot from Malix’s face to his chest so that he could speak more clearly. “You really think if I die you’ll all get to live happily ever after in that little mansion? I hate to break it to you fellas, but that’s not happening. If you can’t see that, you’re all dumber than I thought.”</p>
<p>Erik responded, “You and your gang are our only threat. The others have clearly lost their interest in us, and you can do little beyond the grave.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t say devils were going to be your problem.”</p>
<p>His uncontrollable laughter echoed throughout the warehouse, causing chills to go up the girls’ spines. Black and red blood from the wound on his cheek slipped out of his mouth and onto the pavement. He didn’t care that he was going to die. That much was obvious.</p>
<p>As this was happening, a Damien-shaped shadow practically slithered across the floor toward the devil. Malix didn’t even notice until the shadow reached its arms up from the floor, positioning them on either side of his head. Despite this, he didn’t stop cackling like a hyena. It was only when the shadow’s hands snapped his neck that it grew quiet in the warehouse.</p>
<p>The girls took in the sight of blood pooling around Malix’s head. They weren’t going to miss him, but they were going to miss not having that moment in their memories.</p>
<p>As the killer shadow disappeared, Damien gazed at the floor in shame. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you all not to look.”</p>
<p>Naomi kept Simon’s eyes covered. “That’s okay. It’s more merciful that he didn’t know it was coming.”</p>
<p>Mika told him, “You did what you had to do, Damien.”</p>
<p>Suzu approached the dead Malix, asking, “What do we do with the body?”</p>
<p>James answered as the golden gun vanished, “Nothing. If Eris and the others don’t come back for him, the angels will make sure humans won’t find him. Our only job is to get out of their way.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>The sun hadn’t even set yet, but the girls were exhausted. The fight and anxieties of the day had worn them out. The boys didn’t look like they were in much better shape. What they had described as a ‘glamor spell’ was disguising them as humans once again, but it didn’t hide the dark circles under their eyes.</p>
<p>Mika remembered the deal. They would be staying until Malix was no longer a threat. They were in no shape to travel now, but come morning, they’d be able to leave. When Mika had offered them a place to stay, she figured her life would go back to normal once they were gone, but that seemed unlikely. Not only did she know her grandpa was a warlock and K wasn’t human, but she had discovered that she had her own powers too.</p>
<p>She also had feelings for James. He was intelligent, kind, and a gentleman. Suzu had suggested a couple days ago that he had a crush on her, and Mika was thinking she might be right. He was much more affectionate towards her than Naomi and Suzu, and their kiss in the library had held a lot of emotion despite starting as a simple transition of energy. Their relationship was something she wanted to explore further. Even if they didn’t work out as a couple, James would be a very valuable friend to have.</p>
<p>She also had to consider her best friends. She could tell Naomi and Matthew had grown fond of each other. From what she could see so far, Matthew was good for her friend. Between the dancing in the kitchen Suzu told her about and having Simon, it was apparent Matthew had the power to make a normally uptight Naomi relax and have fun. That wasn’t something she wanted her friend to lose.</p>
<p>Suzu had started out hating Sam’s guts, but Mika just knew something had changed. Seeing them do tai chi together almost flawlessly and how they were able to fight side-by-side at the warehouse suggested that they could really be a good team. Whenever she thought about who would be Suzu’s perfect match, she imagined a guy like Sam.</p>
<p>Naomi rejoined everyone in the lobby, holding an inanimate Simon. “I got all the blood off him.”</p>
<p>Sam said, “I still don’t get why Malix couldn’t get Simon off his face sooner.”</p>
<p>Matthew displayed a proud smile. “Just shows how awesome I am at making toys.”</p>
<p>Damien answered Sam’s question, “Malix wasn’t expecting the attack, but Simon also had a good hold on him. He’s stronger than he looks.”</p>
<p>Naomi set her doll on a tiny table pressed against the wall. “I’m just glad he wasn’t hurt.”</p>
<p>Suzu yawned. “I’m beat. This entire day’s been something else.”</p>
<p>“We have trigonometry homework. Remember?”</p>
<p>Suzu groaned before saying to Mika, “For once, I wish I was taking calculus with you.”</p>
<p>Matthew tried to be optimistic. “But at least we can finally relax.”</p>
<p>Erik agreed. “It will be good to have some rest without devils breathing down our necks.”</p>
<p>Mika didn’t want to bring up the subject of the boys leaving. She seemed to be the only one who remembered. “I don’t need dinner. I just wanna go to bed.”</p>
<p>James replied, “I think some sleep would be good for all of us.”</p>
<p>Damien hummed to himself, and that’s when Mika remembered that he could read minds. No matter how much she wished he didn’t, he knew exactly what she had been thinking. She silently begged him not to say anything.</p>
<p>Any hope she had of him staying silent was shattered. “Should we be gone in the morning?”</p>
<p>Mika could tell everyone around her remembered their agreement. Everyone turned to her as tension filled the air. The boys looked ready to accept whatever fate she handed them, but her friends were emitting a mixture of sadness and hopefulness. Naomi and Suzu wanted to suggest that the boys stay, but at the same time, didn’t want to put any pressure on their friend. This was Mika’s mansion. They had no say in her decision.</p>
<p>She looked to James, fantasizing about him asking to let them stay. She could feel her heart beat faster as her eyes landed on his. Something in her expression must’ve given her thoughts away, because James smiled and approached her. He gently clasped her hand and brought it up to his lips. It was the kiss of a gentleman, or a prince at a ball.</p>
<p>As he moved their hands out of the way, he said, “Miss if I may be so forward... Despite the short time we’ve stayed here, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here. That being said... would you allow us to stay here?”</p>
<p>James released her hand and stepped back to where he was before, ignoring the astonished stares of his brothers.</p>
<p>Suzu whispered in Mika’s ear, “Told you he had a crush on you.” This caused Mika to smirk back at her.</p>
<p>She knew the right thing to do. The boys needed a place to stay, and she was willing to give them a home. They had all become her friends in such a short amount of time. Besides, she wasn’t going to sabotage three budding relationships.</p>
<p>She finally spoke, “I would love it if you all could stay.”</p>
<p>Everyone began cheering, albeit most did it tiredly. No one was sure which one made the first move, but Naomi was running towards Matthew’s open arms. When they embraced each other, he lifted her off the floor and spun around a couple times. He set her down, both of them laughing in pure joy. It had looked like a scene from a cheesy romance movie. Just the kind of thing Suzu and Mika knew Naomi liked.</p>
<p>Suzu chuckled. “Come on, Patterson. We better go home and get some shuteye.”</p>
<p>Blushing a little, Naomi let go of Matthew. “Of course. My parents are probably expecting me home soon.”</p>
<p>The duo picked up their backpacks that were by the door. “From now on, Anderson, you’re riding home with us. We’re not letting you get kidnapped by devils again.”</p>
<p>Mika laughed. “Thanks. I’ll make sure it’s actually my dad next time. See you guys tomorrow!”</p>
<p>As she opened the door, Naomi waved to everyone. “Bye!”</p>
<p>Suzu saluted, barely noticing that Sam returned it before she closed the door behind her. Mika rubbed her eyes and yawned, only waking up slightly when James clapped his hands together.</p>
<p>Having everyone’s attention, James said, “Alright everyone. We’re all very tired, so let’s head to bed, shall we?”</p>
<p>“Oh!” responded Matthew, “Right. Sleep is actually a thing.”</p>
<p>Erik spoke next, “We’ve had a long day. We deserve to relax.”</p>
<p>Damien agreed with all of them. “Sleep sounds really good right now...”</p>
<p>Matthew and Damien quickly left the lobby. Erik had only made it to the steps when Sam grabbed onto his vest. He looked back at his brother in curiosity and slight annoyance. “Yes?”</p>
<p>James and Mika were too focused on each other to listen to Sam’s request. “I know you’re tired, but I need to do some research and find an address. Can you help me?”</p>
<p>Erik squinted at him in confusion, but nodded. He followed Sam to the office, leaving James and Mika alone.</p>
<p>James wrapped his arms around her. “You are an absolutely wonderful woman. I’m so happy that you let us stay here...”</p>
<p>She placed her hands on his shoulders. She should probably say something back, but all her tired mind could focus on was his amber eyes. The hug she was in was warm, and she could probably fall asleep in his arms. Mika leaned into him, resting her head on his chest.</p>
<p>He spoke again, his voice filled with worry, “Listen... about what happened at the warehouse... I hope I didn’t scare you.”</p>
<p>Somehow, her tired brain was able to realize he meant how he borderline tortured Malix. Mika replied, still not moving away from him. “No. It’s okay. It just surprised me.”</p>
<p>She felt his relieved sigh at her answer. All she wanted was to be with James in that moment. Her exhausted mind couldn’t even bother with memories of the warehouse.</p>
<p>He kissed her forehead. “Come. Let’s get you to bed.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was trying to write the fight scene in a way that made it seem hectic. Hopefully, the fighting is still easy to follow.</p>
<p>What did you think of the chapter overall?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Tuesday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We finally get to meet Diana! Again, I'm not going to make you guys read word for word what's already in the game. That's why I'm skipping over the scenes where Mika meets Diana, the following breakfast, and when Diana talks to James in the library.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Suzu was in a noticeably better mood. During the drive to Mika’s, she had her feet up on the dashboard and was nodding her head along to the radio. Her smile hadn’t faltered since she was picked up. It was completely different than the drive to school yesterday. While some of it was warranted due to the defeat of the devils, Naomi suspected that there was something else going on.</p><p>Naomi commented as she pulled into the driveway, “You’re in a wonderful mood.”</p><p>Suzu’s grin somehow widened. “My family had a bit of a situation going on, but it’s all better now.”</p><p>“What situation?” she asked.</p><p>“I promise I’ll tell you and Anderson after school. Right now, I just want to bask in how awesome everything’s turning out.”</p><p>Mika practically launched herself into the backseat. “We have a big problem!”</p><p>Suzu’s expression quickly changed to that of someone who was totally done. She took her feet off the dashboard. “Oh great.”</p><p>Naomi returned to driving, though she now had an iron grip on the steering wheel. “Are the devils back?!”</p><p>Mika leaned forward and turned off the radio. “No, thank God. A succubus is trying to bring the boys back to the demon world.”</p><p>“What’s a succubus?”</p><p>Suzu explained, “They’re basically the female version of an incubus.”</p><p>Mika began recounting the events of the last few hours. “Last night, she woke me up to ‘see her competition’ as she put it. She told me her name was Diana and that she would take the boys away while I was at school.”</p><p>“Did you tell the guys?” asked Suzu.</p><p>“She told me not to tell or she’d make sure I’d die alone, but Damien read my thoughts when I came downstairs for breakfast. They said Diana was supposed to marry one of them before they came to the human world. Then, she shows up <em>again</em> and tries to convince them to go back to the Abyssal Plains with her. Right in front of me!”</p><p>“They said no, right?”</p><p>Naomi exclaimed, “They can’t go back!”</p><p>Mika reassured them, “Of course they said no. The thing is, Diana’s not giving up, and their best bet is to just keep saying no. James said she needs them alive, so I highly doubt she’ll attack anyone.”</p><p>Suzu threw her arms up in the air in exasperation. “Just what we need.”</p><p>With a forced smile, Naomi pointed out, “At least she’s not an actual danger, like Malix. She’ll just be a nuisance.” She looked at Mika in the rearview mirror. “Hey.”</p><p>Mika made eye contact with Naomi through the mirror. “Yeah?”</p><p>Her smile no longer forced, she said, “You’d never die alone. Not while we’re around.”</p><p>Suzu turned in her seat so she could talk directly to Mika. “Yeah! Not even a crazy succubus is going to keep us apart! Anyone who thinks they can separate us has another thing coming!”</p><p>The sentiment from her friends was unexpected but appreciated. Diana’s threat was void thanks to Damien, but Mika still remembered how worried she was about having everyone abandon her. Looking at her friends now, she knew not even someone as powerful as Diana could deter them. They had formed a bond greater than any other friendship at their school. Certainly stronger than the bond between Lisette and her followers.</p><p>Mika responded, “Thanks, guys. I promise I’ll be by your sides forever. Nothing’s going to stop the Triple Threat Trio!”</p><p>Naomi's voice expressed worry as she said, “Oh no. Now you’re both using that name.”</p><p>Suzu laughed. “We’ll get you to say it one day. Maybe we can get the guys in on it too.” She relaxed in her seat. “I say we forget about Diana for awhile and just get through school.”</p><p>“Remember, you also promised to tell Mika and me why you were in such a good mood.”</p><p>Mika leaned forward, interested. “What happened?”</p><p>Suzu replied, “It’s kind of a long story. I’ll tell you guys after school.”</p><hr/><p>Their first class of the day was history. They took their usual seats with Mika to the left of Naomi and behind Suzu. History was usually a good class for them thanks to the teacher. He enjoyed what he talked about and wanted everyone to enjoy it too.</p><p>Naomi opened her notebook. “I wasn’t able to read ahead last night, but I think we’re supposed to be talking about the relationship between World War I and the Russian Revolution today.”</p><p>Curious, Mika opened her history textbook to check. “That sounds right. I’ll look it up.”</p><p>Suzu snickered. “You guys are such nerds. I love you.”</p><p>“Love you too,” Mika said as Naomi made a heart with her hands. There was still sentimentality left over from the promise of being together forever. The subject of the mysterious succubus was able to be stored in the back of their minds.</p><p>The bell to start class rang, which was usually when their teacher walked in. Instead, the dean entered and stood at the front of the class. Something was different about her, but the girls couldn’t quite place their fingers on it.</p><p>The dean addressed the class in an uncharacteristic, monotone voice, “Students. You’ll be having a substitute for class today.”</p><p>Whenever there was a sub, students only knew about it when the teacher warned them the day before or when the substitute just showed up. For the dean herself to announce the presence of a sub was unheard of. Everything about this situation was off, and it was unsettling the girls.</p><p>“Everyone meet-”</p><p>A voice only familiar to Mika came from the hall. “Ms. Diana.”</p><p>The entire class simultaneously turned their heads to the doorway. With one hand resting on the doorframe by her head and the other on her hip, Ms. Diana looked more like a supermodel during a photoshoot than a teacher. She wore a strapless black and gold gown one would expect to see gracing the red carpet. Any student who wore a similar outfit would be scolded for violating the dress code. Her brown hair reached past her hips and was unnaturally flawless.</p><p>Diana subtly scanned the room before her eyes landed on Mika. Upon seeing her, she smirked and strolled over to the teacher’s desk. Most of the students were whispering to each other, but all the girls could do was stare at Diana in shock.</p><p>Mika whispered to her friends, “It’s her.”</p><p>Diana sat on the wooden desk and crossed her legs. “Thank you, Dean. You can go now.”</p><p>Any other sub would’ve been fired on the spot, but the dean simply left the room. Hypnotism was the only explanation the girls could think of. If incubi could alter minds, then it's by no means a stretch to think that succubi could too. When the dean closed the door, Diana smiled at the entire class. Suzu glared daggers at Diana while her friends waited nervously for her to make the first move.</p><p>Diana said, “So, history. History, history, history. Such a silly thing isn’t it? I mean, what do we care about the past? We’re in the present!”</p><p>Some of the class hesitantly nodded at her words. Naomi assumed it was more out of respect than agreement. As odd as Diana was acting, she was still the teacher, and as far as their classmates knew, that’s all she was.</p><p>Diana continued, “The present is so full of wonderful things! While the labors of the past are the reasons we have many things, it is our chance and privilege to utilize what has been given to us!</p><p>To Mika, it looked like most of the class was eating her words up. Some looked like they actually agreed with her. She pressed her lips together to keep herself from saying anything. Suzu was struggling not to shout at Diana to get lost, and for the first time in her life, Naomi felt ready to disrespect a teacher in some way.</p><p>“What’s even funnier, about human beings, is that some bits of ‘history’ we hear is either made up or completely biased to one side! It’s like a story you read as a child! You hear of the princess and the prince and they live happily ever after, but what about the family she left behind? What about her friends?”</p><p>Mika knew the words were directed at her, but she was trying to figure out whether they were for Suzu and Naomi too. Diana obviously knew she had friends, but did she know that it wasn’t just Mika the boys had befriended? Did she know about the three romances blooming too?</p><p>“The original story of the Little Mermaid! A perfect example of a biased opinion. Here we have a girl who wants to marry a prince, but this prince has to marry a princess! What would happen if the mermaid had her way? What makes the mermaid so important that the princess has to suffer the consequences?”</p><p>Naomi and Mika decided to stay quiet. They weren’t sure what Diana would do if they talked back. That was probably what she wanted anyway, and they didn’t want to play right into her hands.</p><p>Suzu, however, wasn’t going to stand for such bullshit. “Because the prince wants the mermaid, <em>Ms. Diana</em>.”</p><p>The entire class looked to her in shock. Mika and Naomi mentally facepalmed, but carefully observed Diana's response.</p><p>Diana smiled at Suzu, “Maybe he does, but he has a responsibility to marry the princess. Otherwise, both of their kingdoms would suffer. Could the prince really live with himself if he let that happen?”</p><p>“Could the princess really live with herself knowing she trapped the prince in a marriage so loveless that he can’t even get it up in bed?”</p><p>A bunch of the guys burst out laughing at Suzu’s question. Diana seemed shocked for a moment, but recovered in the blink of an eye. To Mika, Suzu just proved that Diana wasn’t going to retaliate for any sass headed her way. This opened the door for her to talk back in the future. Naomi was still hesitant to say anything, unsure of what Diana was planning.</p><p>Diana replied like the answer was obvious, “Their sense of duty would override any emotions they may have.”</p><p>Suzu mumbled to herself, “Fat chance.”</p><p>She continued her lecture, “Well, luckily, in the real story of The Little Mermaid, the mermaid knows that what she was doing was wrong and she threw herself into the ocean, turning into sea foam.”</p><p>Mika saw her opportunity. “That’s not true.”</p><p>“Not true? How so?” Diana asked with a smile.</p><p>“The trade-off for becoming human was marrying the prince or turning into seafoam. However, she was given the choice to kill the prince and turn back into a mermaid. The mermaid didn’t because she loved him and sacrificed herself for that love.”</p><p>Based on her classmates’ reactions, some of them hadn’t known about this part.</p><p>Diana continued, “Whatever the reason for turning into seafoam may be, the prince and princess did get married. The kingdoms, I’m sure, flourished, and they lived happily ever after.”</p><p>Seeing her two friends speak up, Naomi felt more confident about talking. She raised her hand, partly out of habit and partly because she was still wary about not knowing what she was walking into.</p><p>Diana called on her, “Yes?”</p><p>Naomi put her hand down. “How are you so sure the kingdoms flourished from an arranged marriage?”</p><p>“It happens all the time in reality. Arranged marriages happen to bring families together and bring wealth out of poverty.”</p><p>“But what if the marriage turned out like Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon?”</p><p>Diana squinted at her in confusion. “Who and who?”</p><p>Human history must not be taught in the Abyssal Plains. Well, Naomi was happy to give a little history lesson.</p><p>“Henry VII of England wanted to secure an alliance with Spain, so he arranged for Henry VIII to marry Catherine of Aragon. Henry VIII ended up having several affairs, and even had a baby out of wedlock. Things only got worse when they weren’t able to have the son that Henry wanted. He began having an affair with Anne Boleyn, but Anne made it clear she wasn’t going to settle with just being a lover. She wanted to be queen, and Henry was willing to divorce Catherine to make it happen. At the time, England was Catholic, so Henry had to get his marriage annulled by the pope. The pope refused to give them an annulment, so Henry decided to separate England from the Catholic Church entirely. He made a new, Anglican Church with himself as the head. He got the divorce he wanted and married Anne. Unfortunately, hundreds of people were executed in the process because they wouldn’t conform to the new Church. The divorce also hurt the alliance with Spain and any hope of reconciling with the Holy Roman Empire was gone. I’m not saying all of the suffering wouldn’t have happened anyway, but Henry and Catherine’s marriage didn’t exactly bring prosperity.”</p><p>A classmate of theirs who adored history, chimed in, “Or there’s the marriage between Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. That ended with a bunch of people’s heads being chopped off. Themselves included.”</p><p>Another classmate said, “Didn’t we also just learn that the tsar’s son had problems because his parents were second cousins? Wasn’t their marriage arranged too?”</p><p>A boy rather excitedly pointed out, “Cleopatra boned her brother because of the whole ‘keeping it in the family’ thing!”</p><p>The class laughed at the boy’s outburst. Diana, in contrast, looked rather annoyed. The class was no longer on her side, and Mika was happy to rub that in her face.</p><p>She felt bold enough to suggest, “With all that in mind, let’s take a vote. All in favor of the prince marrying the mermaid raise your hands.”</p><p>Some did it more hesitantly than others, but all of the students raised their hands. A few real world disasters had drowned out a fictional success. There was no need to ask if anyone thought the princess should get the prince.</p><p>As everyone put their hands down, Suzu said, “Then it’s settled! The mermaid should get the prince and the princess should find some other poor bastard.”</p><p>Everyone hollered and cheered at the decision. Diana sighed in irritation and, for some reason, glanced at the clock. The girls could tell they had won this round. She could no longer guarantee the kingdoms flourished from a marriage. Still, they weren’t naïve enough to think they had changed her mind. They hadn't known Diana long, but no one travels to the human world, hunts down incubi, and hijacks a classroom by being a pushover.</p><p>Diana smiled, leaning against the blackboard behind her. The unexplained change in her demeanor made the friends suspicious. “You know what? School isn’t important. Everyone, go ahead and head home. Take the week off.”</p><p>The classroom was filled with chatting students at her words. Normally, Suzu wouldn’t question it. She’d grab her stuff and rush out of the room before the teacher could change her mind. This time, she sat still with Mika and Naomi, confused. Diana put a finger up to her lips, effectively silencing the room at the drop of a dime. She slowly counted down with her fingers from three.</p><p>When she finished, the speakers came to life and the dean’s voice gave a surprise announcement, “Attention students: due to an emergency faculty meeting, we will be closing school for the remainder of the day and the entire week. Please leave the school quickly and quietly and have a good rest of the week.”</p><p>Suzu stared at a speaker on the ceiling. “Wow, some faculty meeting.”</p><p>Diana gestured to the door. “Have a nice week off! School will resume next week!”</p><p>Some students bolted out of the classroom while others calmly walked out, making plans for the surprise vacation. Mika, Naomi, and Suzu were packing their belongings when Diana approached them.</p><p>“Excuse me, girls. I’d like you to stay a little while. There’s something we need to discuss.”</p><p>Mika cringed. Crap, she did know about her friends. The last student out closed the door behind him. It was probably out of habit, but it still left the girls stuck with Diana.</p><p>With no one able to hear their conversation, Naomi asked, “What did you do to our history teacher?”</p><p>Diana giggled. “I just suggested that he wasn’t feeling well. No need to worry about him, Sweetie.”</p><p>Mika exclaimed, “What are you doing here?!”</p><p>“What? Do I not make a good teacher?”</p><p>Suzu said, “As much as I appreciate having the rest of the week off, you really should just beat it. The guys are our friends, and as their friends, we’re not letting some bimbo kidnap them.”</p><p>Mika added, “The princes have chosen the mermaids. You need to accept that.”</p><p>Diana sat on the desk in front of Naomi, not looking happy. “Or, I could end your lives and get the little mermaids out of the way.”</p><p>While the threat caught them off-guard, Naomi told her, “If you thought killing us would work, you would’ve done it already. You know the boys wouldn’t marry someone who killed their friends.”</p><p>“Smart girl.” She smiled at Naomi before leaning towards her and holding her chin. Naomi could feel her energy leaving via her chin, but the sudden urge to give her energy over to this beautiful woman overcame her before she could jerk away. Relaxing her muscles, she stared, transfixed, at her. “Especially for a human. Why don’t you tell me-”</p><p>Diana stopped talking when a hand wrapped around her lower arm and yanked it so that she let go of Naomi. She looked to the owner of the hand on her and saw that Suzu was out of her seat. Naomi was still recovering from Diana’s spell, so it took her a few moments to realize what had happened. Mika locked her eyes on Suzu’s pissed off face. What Diana had done to her the night before and during breakfast flashed across her mind. She prayed her friend would be okay.</p><p>Suzu growled out, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t pound your face in with your own fist!” To Suzu’s shock, she unwillingly let go of Diana and returned to her seat. “What?”</p><p>Diana laughed. “You’re Cappini.” At Suzu’s nod, she said, “I knew it. The brute was looking up your little casino last night. If he wasn’t a demon, I would say you two are a perfect match.”</p><p>Mika exclaimed, “It doesn’t matter that they’re demons! We can date them if we want to!”</p><p>As Suzu’s freewill returned, Mika just knew she lost the ability to lie. She was overcome by honesty in her heart. She would panic if it weren’t for the spell keeping her calm.</p><p>Diana asked, “And who would you date?”</p><p>“The eldest,” she answered.</p><p>Giggling again, Diana set her sights on Naomi, “What about you, Dear? Who would you like to be with?”</p><p>Even as Mika was released, Naomi didn’t feel herself being bewitched. Did Diana expect her to cooperate? “Why do you want to know?”</p><p>“I’m curious. Humans rarely fall for demons. Well, naturally, anyway. And yet here are three girls who are absolutely smitten!”</p><p>“Who I want to date is none of your business!” she angrily exclaimed, “I’m not telling you!”</p><p>“Actually, you already have. The fourth son smells of tulips. A flower that you absolutely reek of.”</p><p>Naomi could only growl. The scent must have been from the hug last night. Meanwhile, Mika realized that Diana would’ve already known about her and James. Right before she left for school, they had hugged, and James had even kissed her head, no doubt leaving his scent there. She’s just been toying with them these past few minutes. Why?</p><p>Diana eyed each of them before saying, “You can go now. Remember, no class the rest of the week~”</p><p>The three friends looked at each other before standing and heading out of the classroom. Suzu whispered to herself, “I did my trigonometry homework last night for nothing.”</p><hr/><p>When the girls entered the mansion, Damien rushed into the lobby, his brothers right behind him.</p><p>Suzu gave a short wave. “Hey, we’re back.”</p><p>Erik asked, “Why aren’t you ladies in school?”</p><p>Damien answered for them, “Diana broke into their class and sent all of the students home for the week.”</p><p>Sam complained, “Seriously?! Diana’s screwing around for no reason!”</p><p>Matthew said, “Maybe it’s part of her plan...”</p><p>The boys broke out into an argument, leaving Mika, Naomi, and Suzu to stand there and watch. Suzu did her best to catch what was being said, but they were all talking over each other. The boys weren’t debating so much as trying to make sure their piece was heard. Naomi wanted to stop them, but couldn’t find an opportunity to do so.</p><p>Mika, however, wasn’t going to wait for an opening to appear. “HEY!”</p><p>The lobby went silent, and everyone looked to Mika. She was fuming, hands clenched into fists and shaking. The scene was reminiscent of when she exploded at them in the lobby last Friday.</p><p>She had to calm herself down a bit before she could continue, “What is going on?! Why is Diana after you?! What are you all running from?!”</p><p>“Miss, we-” tried James.</p><p>She interrupted, “Don’t you ‘Miss’ me! We’re all stuck in this mess now! Naomi, Suzu, and I deserve to know what’s going on!”</p><p>Naomi said, “We know she wants to marry one of you for diplomatic reasons, but that’s about it.”</p><p>Suzu added, “We helped you with Malix, didn’t we?” She gazed at Sam. “Please... Let us help again.”</p><p>Sam was visibly deep in thought as the other incubi exchanged glances. He nodded at Suzu before asking Damien, “Can you do the thing with all three of them?”</p><p>Naomi asked, “...The what?”</p><p>Damien explained, “He wants me to simultaneously give you all a vision. And no, I can’t. However, we can use the master bedroom’s TV to show them everything.”</p><p>Mika, determined, told him, “Then show us.”</p><hr/><p>Using the TV, Damien had displayed visions of the Demon Lord and a servant discussing a marriage, the Demon Lord interacting with the young incubi, and the boys plotting to run away to the human world. Sitting on the bed, the girls stared at the black screen. It took some time to process that the boys weren't just regular incubi, but sons of the Demon Lord.</p><p>James broke their attention from the TV. “Now you know exactly who we are...”</p><p>Naomi stood up. “She’s not just looking for power. She’s looking to protect her kingdom.”</p><p>Mika asked, “And she can do that by marrying one of you?”</p><p>“Not anymore,” said Sam, “Once we left, our dad couldn’t go through with the deal.”</p><p>Damien warned Naomi, “Don’t pity her. What she wants is to rule our kingdom. That is her main priority. I saw it in her mind.”</p><p>Naomi nodded. “Don’t worry. Even if she only wants to protect her people, that’s no reason to steal you away. I’m no stranger to politics. There are multiple ways this can be solved, and truth be told, I don’t think your dad would keep his end of the bargain anyway.”</p><p>James said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been planning an attack this whole time. He’s not one to share power.”</p><p>Mika stood and held James’ hand. “We won’t let her win. We’ll find a way to send her back.”</p><p>Naomi checked the alarm clock on the nightstand. “It’s been a long day and it’s not even noon. How about we have some lunch before we come up with a plan?”</p><p>Erik agreed. “A wonderful idea, Your Highness!”</p><p>As everyone filed out of the bedroom, Suzu got up and grabbed Sam by the back of his letterman jacket. “Can we talk?”</p><p>He turned around to face her as everyone else left. “Sure.”</p><p>“So, I got up this morning, and my parents said the mob just let us go, no strings attached. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”</p><p>He smirked and shrugged. “Maybe.”</p><p>She figured Sam had something to do with it, but to have him basically admit it was what let it sink in. “How?!”</p><p>“All I had to do was pay a visit to the head honcho last night. One conversation with some mind-altering, and he was convinced having any ties to your casino was a bad idea.”</p><p>Suzu felt like she could cry. “You...”</p><p>“It’s the truth, really. If anything happened to you or your family I’d basically-”</p><p>Suzu attacked him with a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. At first, Sam was tense under her, but he eventually reciprocated the embrace, albeit a bit gentler.</p><p>Successfully holding back tears, she mumbled, “Thank you.”</p><p>He replied sincerely, “I did it for you. You know that right?”</p><p>“I owe you big time.”</p><p>They stopped hugging, but still held onto each other. “You owe me shit, Dingus.”</p><p>She shook her head. “Yes I do. It’s not like you did me a small favor. You saved my family, Sam.”</p><p>His cheeks were slowly turning pink at her praise, but she firmly believed it was well deserved. He had been exhausted from the fight yesterday, yet he still took the time to track down the right person, meet him, and make that damn protection license void. While it was possible he only did it out of the goodness of his heart, something was telling Suzu that there was a more specific reason. He had said he did it for her, but what exactly did he mean by that?</p><p>There was only one way to get her answer. She asked, “Why’d you do it? Honestly.”</p><p>For a split second, Sam gripped her tighter. From his facial expression, an observer would think he had been asked a difficult or personal question. She could practically hear his heart racing.</p><p>Finally, he answered, “Shit... I uh, I... I mean, it was the right thing to do...”</p><p>“But?”</p><p>“...But I also did it because... I like you. A lot. I don’t want to freak you out, but... I’m in love with you. Demons aren’t experts on love, so I can’t describe exactly what it is I’m feeling for you. Not yet anyway! All I know is I’ve never felt this way about anyone... Ever.”</p><p>He meant it. There was no denying that he meant every word he said. Suzu felt like her heart was going to jump right out of her ribcage. They may not have known each other very long, but something had grown between them in that short amount of time. While it seemed too fast to be love, she couldn’t think of anything else it could be. She’s had mere crushes before, and this wasn’t it.</p><p>Suzu unwrapped her arms from around him, placing her hands along his jaw. Gently, she pressed her lips against his. The ensuing kiss was a lot more tender than the one they had shared before on the roof. It was also much shorter, ending after a few seconds.</p><p>Sam’s eyes blinked open as they pulled away. He said, “Please tell me you didn’t do that because you felt like you had to. Because you don’t.”</p><p>She responded truthfully, “I did it because I’m attracted to you, Tsundere. I love you.”</p><p>His mouth dropped open as he no doubt took in her words. "Are...?" He smirked in an attempt to keep his cool. "If you say 'sike,' I'll never forgive you."</p><p>She playfully rolled her eyes. "Yes, because I'm cruel enough to kiss a boy, hear his love confession, and then tell him I love him just for shits and giggles. Dude! I meant it!"</p><p>This time, he was the one who initiated the kiss, and from that moment on, Sam Anderson and Suzu Cappini were officially a couple.</p><hr/><p>Lunch had gone smoothly, but no one knew how to deal with the looming threat that was Diana. It appeared they’d have to wait for her to make the next move, and then act accordingly. It turned out James was her fiancé, so everyone predicted he’d be her primary target. Naomi knew James wasn’t going anywhere. Mika was too important to him.</p><p>Not knowing about the library or office, Naomi had decided to read a bit of her history textbook in the dining room. She found studying difficult this time around. As much as the subject interested her, she couldn’t concentrate on anything that wasn’t related to the problems Diana posed. She had grown to like all of the boys, and didn’t want to lose any of them. Part of her also wondered if Diana would use her crush on Matthew as leverage.</p><p>Was it a crush? It felt more like their souls recognized each other and were overjoyed at finding their partner. Naomi could be a hopeless romantic from time to time, and even she recognized how unlikely that was. For all she knew, Matthew only saw her as a friend. And even if he did like her, everyone tells her that falling in love is a long, ongoing process. This wasn't a fairytale where the knight in shining armor meets the princess and they get married the next day. This was real life.</p><p>She jumped slightly when she felt something soft covering her shoulders. She turned her head to see Matthew behind her, draping his yellow hoodie on her like it was a blanket.</p><p>He explained, “You have goosebumps. I thought you might be cold.”</p><p>Naomi didn’t even feel like the room was chilly. The goosebumps must be from thinking about Diana. The succubus could be rather intimidating. Whatever was causing her to appear cold, it seemed rude to refuse the sweatshirt. She slipped each arm through a sleeve and zipped it all the way up.</p><p>She had to resist snuggling into the soft fabric. “Thank you. It’s very comfy.”</p><p>He sat next to her. “I made it myself when I came to the human world. What are you reading about?”</p><p>“World War I and the Russian Revolution. We were supposed to learn about it today but Diana... Well, you know.”</p><p>“I learned a bit about World War II since coming here. I don’t know much about the first one. What does Russia have to do with it?”</p><p>“I haven’t managed to read the whole chapter, but Russia’s involvement in WWI hastened the speed of the revolution.” She remembered Diana’s lack of knowledge about King Henry VIII. “How much human history is taught in the demon world?”</p><p>“Pretty much nothing. We mostly learn about human religions and their relationships between their social groups. Everything else about the human world is left up to our imaginations.”</p><p>“Oh. You and your brothers will want to learn the basics of American history. Otherwise, you’d stand out.”</p><p>He laughed. “I normally don’t mind standing out, but I’d rather not look like an idiot.” A glimmer of excitement appeared in his eye as he said, “Hit me with some history knowledge!”</p><p>She closed her textbook, eager to teach. But first, she wanted to see what he already knew. “Okay. Name as many American presidents as you can.”</p><p>He commenced to sink deep into concentration. “Let’s see. Those are the guys on the money, right?”</p><p>“Most of the men on the money are, but not all of them.”</p><p>“Dang. Um... I don’t know those guys by name to be honest.”</p><p>Naomi mentally made a note to teach him the presidents later. “Alright. Let’s see... What’s the 'Star Spangled Banner?'”</p><p>“That’s America’s theme song, right? A national anthem?”</p><p>“That’s right! Who is Walt Disney?”</p><p>He was beaming as he answered, “That’s the guy who made all those movies and founded those theme parks!”</p><p>“Right!”</p><p>“Man, I’d love to go to an amusement park again! I haven’t been to one in ages!”</p><p>“Have you been to the Navy Pier? It’s not Disney World, but it’s fun. There’s a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, a museum, gardens... Mika, Suzu, and I have been there several times! It’s right here in Chicago if you want to go.”</p><p>Matthew became bashful, dipping his head to look away and rubbing his arm. “I’d like to go there...”</p><p>She wasn’t sure what caused his change in attitude, so she chose to ignore it. “Do you think your brothers would like it too? I’m sure Mika would be more than happy to give her ‘servants’ a day off so you all can have a boys' night out.”</p><p>He kept his gaze on the table. “Actually... could, uh... Could you go there with me? N-not with my brothers too... I mean like... Would you like to have a date there?”</p><p>It was like time had stopped as Naomi processed what he had said. On one hand, she was thrilled Matthew saw her as more than a friend, but she hadn’t expected him to ask her out.</p><p>He looked everywhere but at her as he continued to ramble, “It’s just... I really, really, <em>really</em> like you. You’re caring, brave, and I... I’d really like to date you. But if you don’t want to, that’s okay too. We could just go as friends. Or I could just take my brothers and we can just forget this conversation ever happened. I mean-”</p><p>Naomi leaned over and kissed his cheek, shutting him up. He stared at her incredulously as she answered, “I think a date at Navy Pier sounds lovely.”</p><p>He grinned in slight embarrassment. “Me too. I mean obviously I do because that’s why I offered it, but...”</p><p>“I know what you mean.”</p><p>"Good, good.” He picked up her textbook. “We kind of got off track with history, didn’t we?”</p><p>Naomi laughed. “We did, but if you’d rather focus on planning our first date, I wouldn’t mind.”</p><p>“<em>First </em>date. I like the optimism.”</p><p>Tiny footsteps reached her ears. Looking toward the entrance to the dining room, they saw Simon walk in. He had his little knife in one paw and a silver choker with sapphires in the other. He stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Naomi, looking like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.</p><p>She giggled. “Surprised I’m home early?”</p><p>He ran off to the kitchen as fast as he could. Matthew asked, “Where’s he off to?”</p><p>Naomi only had time to shrug before Simon returned without the necklace at full speed. He used her leg to climb onto her lap and then hugged her stomach. “Aw, I missed you too.”</p><p>Matthew tentatively scratched Simon’s head. “Hey, Simon. I haven’t seen you all day.”</p><p>Before Matthew could pull his hand away, Simon wrapped his little arms around it. It was the first time she had seen her doll show his creator any endearment, and if Matthew’s face was any indicator, it was the first time Matthew had seen this affection too. It was incredibly sweet to see, like a child hugging their father when they’re being picked up from school.</p><p>She asked Matthew, “Still think Simon’s creepy?”</p><p>He smiled down at the stuffed animal, picking him up. “Nah. Despite his flaws, I think he’s the best toy I’ve ever made. But, we are leaving him here when we go on our date, right?”</p><p>Simon didn’t outwardly react to learning about the date, but Naomi remembered how he had seen her kiss Matthew on the forehead. “I think Simon can handle himself for a few hours. Besides, I’m sure we could get someone to babysit if we really have to.”</p><p>“Awesome.” He told Simon, “I just have one question for you.” He grew serious as he got himself face-to-face with the doll. “Where’d you put the necklace?”</p><hr/><p>Suzu and Naomi left around twilight, leaving Mika as the only girl in the mansion. With Erik in the shower, Damien napping, Sam daydreaming on the roof, Matthew dealing with Simon, and James planning dinner, she was left to her own devices. She sat on her bed, reading a novel she’d been meaning to get to.</p><p>There was a knock on her door. “Who is it?”</p><p>“It’s James. May I come in?”</p><p>Mika marked her page and set the the book down as she answered, “Of course.”</p><p>The door creaked open, allowing James to enter the room. “I’m sorry to intrude. I just want to know what you'd like for dinner.”</p><p>She didn’t need to think about it long. “That shrimp pesto you made Friday was really good. If it’s okay with everyone else, I wouldn’t mind having that again.”</p><p>He smiled at her request. “I’d love to make you a shrimp pesto again. I can always make my brothers something else.”</p><p>“I don’t want you to do any more work than you have to.”</p><p>“It’s no trouble. I doubt everyone will make it to dinner anyway. Matthew and Simon filled themselves with skittles and Damien’s out like a light.”</p><p>“Well, if you don’t mind.”</p><p>He sat on the bed and picked up the book she had been reading. Smiling, he said, “I’ve read this one a couple months back.”</p><p>“Really? Does it have a happy ending?”</p><p>James chuckled as he handed the book back to her. “I’m not going to spoil anything, but I firmly believe you will enjoy it.”</p><p>Mika set the book aside. “You’re the expert on books, so I believe you.”</p><p>He nodded before getting serious. “I also came to say that I’m sorry about Diana...”</p><p>The change in subject stunned her a little, but she quickly recovered. “It’s not your fault.”</p><p>“No... it is. If we had never come here, you and your friends would have never been in danger.”</p><p>“James, I offered to let you stay, and I don’t regret that. Besides, if you and your brothers never showed up, who would save Suzu’s family and take Naomi on a date to Navy Pier?”</p><p>James offered a half smile. “I suppose you have a point. Your friends make my brothers very happy... Just as you give me joy.”</p><p>She ducked her head, only looking back up when her blushing was under control.</p><p>He chuckled. “So... how does it feel to hold the affection of an ex-demon prince?”</p><p>“When you told me your dad expected you to follow in his footsteps, I didn’t think you meant becoming the next Demon Lord. I can’t imagine what being his heir was like.”</p><p>He sighed. “Somehow, it was simultaneously stressful and boring. Having a cruel father and a spiritual orb as a mother didn’t exactly help. I was only truly happy when with my brothers.”</p><p>She heard the whole thing, but got stuck on his mother being an orb. “What do you mean your mother was a spiritual orb?”</p><p>“Oh, right. After our father had Damien out of wedlock, he turned all four of his wives into floating orbs.” After some thought he took off his glasses. “Here. Let me show you.”</p><p>Mika let him put his glasses on her without protest. Instead of seeing a blurry version of him, her entire vision was overtaken by purple swirls. Eventually, the purple faded away to reveal the castle again. Demon James was sitting on the throne, concentrating on a book he was reading. He was leaning on one arm, using the attached hand to hold his chin between his thumb and index finger. Despite the unformal posture, he gave the impression that the throne was his to sit on. Besides, Mika knew him well enough to know that he was fully capable of sitting up in a regal position.</p><p>A flying, yellow orb entered the throne room, floating straight to James. “I thought I might find you here.”</p><p>He shifted his gaze so that he was focused on the orb. “Mother,” he politely greeted.</p><p>She stopped right before she could cross over onto the dais. “Shouldn't you be farther along in that book by now?”</p><p>He admitted, "I got distracted earlier. I should be finished before the end of the lord gathering."</p><p>This was a rather odd mother-son dynamic. If Mika didn’t know any better, she would think James was talking to a tutor. The way they spoke to each other displayed a certain detachment of emotion. They were civil enough that Mika could tell they didn’t hate each other, but she didn't see any hint of affection.</p><p>"I should hope so. The Demon Lord is not as forgiving as I am. Remember, studying and training are not tasks to falter on."</p><p>"I'm well aware the people of the Abyssal Plains deserve a Demon Lord of the highest intelligence. Just as you always remind me."</p><p>She continued, “And they deserve a Demon Queen like the Princess of Lilith. Don’t you think?”</p><p>He looked back to his book. “Perhaps. I don’t know enough about her to say for certain.”</p><p>His mother floated up the dais and levitated next to him. “Your betrothed is clever, polite, gifted, and gorgeous.”</p><p>It hit Mika that this Princess of Lilith they were talking about was Diana. The demon servant from the vision had said she was a prodigy, and Mika herself had seen how beautiful she was. The jury was still out on whether or not she was clever or polite.</p><p>James flipped a page. “I’ve seen portraits of her, Mother, and I’ve heard of her charisma.</p><p>“So you understand why the Demon Lord arranged this marriage?” At his nod, she continued, “I don’t expect you to be enthusiastic, but you could show some more acceptance of the situation.”</p><p>“I have accepted it.”</p><p>“Have you?”</p><p>Slowly, James looked to his mother. Under his stoic expression, there was a hint of anxiety. “I am fully planning on going through with the marriage. If that is not acceptance, I don’t know what is.”</p><p>“You underestimate how observant I am, Raestrao.” She floated across the throne room, saying, “You have plenty of time to get used to the idea. Just remember that this is all for the best.”</p><p>As she left the throne room, James returned to his book, glancing every now and then at the spot his mother disappeared from. Mika expected the real James to take his glasses off of her face, but she continued to watch as demon James kept reading.</p><p>A new, female voice, straining from years of use, reverberated in the throne room. “You’ll wear out your eyes if you read too much.”</p><p>Looking up from his book once again, James’ eyes landed on what looked like black smoke in front of the dais. The smoke shifted into an old demon. She wore a black cloak and her red horns looked as if they had been through much throughout her life. Despite her hunched posture, Mika could tell that this demon was powerful and someone to be respected. It was hard to look her in the eyes.</p><p>James was unfazed by the power radiating off of her. “Sirona. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at the lord gathering with my father?”</p><p>She answered, “I should, yes, but I had to stop by and see the Demon Lord’s favored son before I head in.”</p><p>It seemed like a flimsy excuse to be late to something that sounded important. Then again, if she was as powerful as Mika suspected, maybe there wouldn’t be any consequences if she was late.</p><p>James gazed at Sirona in what appeared to be... sadness? “I am honored. However, I must apologize and return to my reading.”</p><p>“Of course, of course. Wouldn’t want to make the Demon Lord angry now, would you?”</p><p>Instead of answering, he went back to reading. She either missed or ignored the silent request to end the conversation, staying put. She chuckled like she had seen a child unintentionally do something cute.</p><p>“What will you do when you become the Demon Lord? It’s such a big responsibility...”</p><p>He eyed her in confusion, obviously trying to figure out what the point of her statement was. Mika wasn’t to sure what Sirona was trying to say either.</p><p>She smiled as she walked away. “Think about that.”</p><p>James and Mika watched her retreating form until she was gone. Closing his book, James stared at the floor with his lips pressed together. His face betrayed how troubled he was. Mika wouldn’t be too surprised if an angel and devil (at least how she once knew devils) appeared on each shoulder in the form of his mother and Sirona. Within a span of a few minutes, he was told to put his duty to the Abyssal Plains above everything and, if Mika’s suspicions were correct, to consider whether he was willing to sacrifice so much. His dilemma was somewhat like her not wanting to be CEO, but anyone could tell there was a lot more at stake for James.</p><p>Mika felt the glasses slide off her nose and ears. She blinked a few times to readjust her vision as James returned them to his own face.</p><p>He said, “It was then that I decided to find my brothers. Little did I know that they were wanting me to come on a trip that would make me leave my entire realm to be in a new world.”</p><p>“So that was what happened right before you found Sam and Matthew arguing?”</p><p>He nodded. “I wanted more than anything to be free. My entire life, I’d always have to keep others in mind. Whether it was making sure an action didn’t anger my father or learning how to best lead the kingdom one day. Now, the only people I need to look after are those close to my heart. That’s much less of a chore.”</p><p>She gently placed a hand on his cheek. “Still, it must’ve been so hard to upend your life like that.”</p><p>Perhaps unconsciously, he leaned into her touch. “It was, but it was well worth it. After all, I never would have met you if I stayed.”</p><p>She smiled. “And I’m glad you’re here.”</p><p>James gently leaned his forehead on hers. “I better go get dinner started. I’ll let you know when the shrimp pesto dish is ready.”</p><p>Mika wasn’t about to let him go so easily. Tilting her head up, she pressed her lips against his. It took a moment, but he eventually kissed. She embraced the euphoria that came along with it as they moved their lips in sync. She had been worried the week before that she would never get used to living in her grandfather's mansion, but with James, she felt like she was home.</p><p>He pulled away much too soon for her liking, smiling at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. “Thank you. For the kiss and everything else.”</p><p>As James left, Mika reopened her book, but couldn’t focus on it despite James’ assurance that she would like it. She felt light enough to soar amongst the stars outside, and her mind was on cloud nine.</p><p>It wasn’t until she heard Diana’s laughter that she came crashing back to reality.</p><hr/><p>That night, Suzu sat on her bed, listening to upbeat music. Her parents had noticed something was different about her the minute she walked in. It only took her mother seconds to figure out a boy was causing it. As much as she would love to tell them about Sam saving them from the mob, it’d open a can of worms that she didn’t want to deal with. Instead, she admitted that she and one of Mika’s servants had grown fond of each other.</p><p>There had been a lot of questions about him, but overall, her family seemed supportive. Francesca wanted to meet him right away while her parents seemed willing to give the couple some space for now. However, they asked her to show them a picture of him ASAP.</p><p>“So you and the brute are together after all.”</p><p>Suzu’s head shot up to see Diana standing by the bedroom window. Seething, she turned her music off. How dare she burst in when everything was going perfect?! How dare she even break into her room at all?! If Diana wasn’t so powerful, Suzu would throw her out the window.</p><p>She stood up. “Get the hell out of my house!”</p><p>Diana held a finger up to her lips. “We don’t want anyone to overhear us. Would we now?”</p><p>As much as she hated to admit it, Diana was right. There was no way she could let her parents or sister see a strange woman in her bedroom. She especially didn’t want Diana to possibly manipulate their minds.</p><p>Suzu asked, “What are you doing here?”</p><p>Diana explained with a smile, “Your little friend Mika, didn’t take my deal, so I figured I’d offer it to you.”</p><p>She waved a hand in dismissal before turning back to her bed. “Not interested.”</p><p>Against her will, she swiveled around to face Diana again. Diana, a bit irked, said, “You haven’t even heard my offer.”</p><p>“I don’t need to. You want the boys. I’m not willing to let you have them.”</p><p>Diana smirked as she took a step closer. “Really? Not even if I give you anything you want in exchange?”</p><p>“They are what I want. <em>Sam</em> is what I want.”</p><p>Diana closed her eyes, giving off an air of superiority and unamusement. “Your little romance is only going to end in failure. As a demon, he cannot reciprocate your love. It’s only a matter of time before he decides to find someone more attractive or powerful.”</p><p>“Really?” Suzu challenged. “Because as far as I’m concerned, he’s proven that he feels the same way I do, and if our relationship were to fail, I’d happily keep him as a friend. And I don’t let anyone mess with my friends. That includes you.”</p><p>Diana didn’t seem convinced. “Tell yourself what you will, but I can give you something much more appealing than a whirlwind romance.”</p><p>“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want your deal?!”</p><p>“Not even if it means you get power? Money? A harem?”</p><p>“Not even if it means the entire world. So... do us all a favor and fuck off!”</p><p>Slowly, Diana walked up to her, keeping Suzu's body frozen in place. While Diana didn't have a visible weapon, Suzu half-expected her to make good on her threat of killing the little mermaids. Instead, Diana bent down and connected their lips. Despite enjoying the intensity of the kiss, Suzu couldn’t close her eyes, frantically looking everywhere for something to help her. She was losing energy, and she was losing it fast. She wondered if Diana’s plan was to take so much energy that Suzu just collapses and dies. Had she already done that to Mika?! She said Mika didn’t accept the deal.</p><p>Suzu felt like she was going to pass out when the kiss ended. She heard Diana speak, but it sounded like she was listening from underwater. “Oops. I forgot you don’t have as much energy as your friend.”</p><p>She felt herself being picked up and set on her bed. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.</p><hr/><p>It was almost midnight, but Naomi couldn’t sleep for the life of her. All she could do was think about the date she had tomorrow. She had sat at her desk in her bedroom in the hopes to get some work done, but she ended up doodling hearts and ‘MATTHEW + NAOMI’ in her notebook.</p><p>Yep, she was in love.</p><p>She had told her parents as much as she could about Matthew. Her mother was delighted, but her father wasn’t exactly thrilled. Apparently, his lack of excitement wasn’t due to Matthew himself, but because the date was a reality check. Naomi wasn’t a little girl anymore.</p><p>She knew her parents would love Matthew once they met him. Before that happened, though, she and her friends had to come up with a backstory for the boys. Her parents are going to want to know where he’s from and what his own parents are like. Naomi would like to tell them the truth someday, but if she does, it’s going to be a long time from now.</p><p>Naomi jumped a little when she felt a hand on her shoulder. The first thought that crossed her mind was that it was one of her parents, but something about this hand was unfamiliar. She didn’t move, wanting to let whoever was behind her reveal themselves.</p><p>“Matthew, hmm?”</p><p>Diana. Naomi continued doodling, deciding not to waste any of her time talking.</p><p>“Don’t you want to say hello?”</p><p>She stayed silent, focusing on shading a heart.</p><p>“Tell me, Naomi, what do you want most in the world?”</p><p>Suzu would probably say something along the lines of, ‘For you to leave,’ but Naomi wasn’t usually one for comebacks. She wouldn’t mind having some backup right now. The silent treatment didn’t seem to be working.</p><p>She heard Diana sit on her bed. “What if I told you that I could give you anything you wanted?”</p><p>She didn’t believe her, but she still had to stop herself from glancing at her bed. Even if Diana was telling the truth, Naomi treasured the boys too much to hand them over.</p><p>“He doesn’t love you, you know.”</p><p>Naomi stopped doodling, holding her pen in a death grip. “But I love him.”</p><p>“And you’re fine with that love being unrequited forever?”</p><p>Dropping her pen, she turned her chair to face the intruder. “As we continue dating, he may come to love me. We’ve only known each other for a few days.”</p><p>“Demons aren’t capable of romance, Sweetie. The closest emotion to love demons can feel is lust. That’s the best you’ll get from him.”</p><p>“If all Matthew wants is sex, then he wouldn’t ask me on a date.”</p><p>Diana laughed. “Honey, even I can tell a girl like you isn’t going to give up her virginity so easily. He’ll have to work for it, and once he has it, he’s gone.”</p><p>Naomi glared, closing her notebook and stuffing it in her bookbag. “Leave me alone.”</p><p>“Fine. Tonight could very well be the last time you see me.”</p><p>Naomi paused, trying to piece together what that meant. Was she giving up so soon?</p><p>Diana continued, “You know I want to bring the boys home. If you let me take them, I’ll give you something in return. It can be love, fame-”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>By the time Diana spoke again, Naomi had left her desk to close her blinds. “That’s such a pity. Matthew’s mother had begged me to give him back to her. You do know about how close Matthew and his mother are, don’t you?”</p><p>Naomi, for once in her life, felt like she could strangle someone. “I don’t wanna hear it.”</p><p>“Every time I saw her, she was crying, desperately wanting her son by her side again. Her wails would echo throughout the castle, and there’d be no Matthew to cheer her up. That’s such a sad way to live, don’t you think?”</p><p>In two strides, Naomi was standing in front of her. “Tell Matthew’s mother that he’s happy, and that I’ll do my best to keep him that way. He loves and misses her, but can’t see her again just yet. Tell her that it’s okay to cry, but to remember that her son is doing okay, and is enjoying what the Abyssal Plains couldn’t give him.”</p><p>Diana, who had looked stunned by Naomi, replied defiantly, “And if she still insists on him returning?”</p><p>“Then she needs to speak to someone. If there are therapists in the demon world, I’d recommend that. But if she’s anything like every mother I’ve met, Matthew’s wellbeing will outweigh her own wants.”</p><p>She watched as Diana searched her for any weakness to exploit, but Naomi stood firm. The boys weren't going anywhere they didn't want to while she, Mika, and Suzu were around. The Demon Lord and Diana's parents would just have to figure something else out. That's assuming the Demon Lord was ever going to leave them alone in the first place.</p><p>Diana stood, oddly somber. “Perhaps you’re right. Your friends have given me enough energy to go home, so I won’t bother taking yours. Farewell.”</p><p>She could only watch as Diana disappeared through a purple pentagram on the floor. As soon as she was gone, the pentagram disappeared, leaving no evidence that it existed or that Diana was ever in her room.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The next chapter is the epilogue! :)</p><p>Please let me know what you think! Comments really make my day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi! Sorry that this is later in the day than usual! I've been under the weather lately (not coronavirus) and spent most of today sleeping.</p>
<p>I really hope you all enjoy the last chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Over a year had gone by. With the exception of James, the incubi had moved out of the mansion. Inspired by the Cappinis’ former problems with the mob, Sam had decided to become a police officer. Suzu fulfilled her family’s expectation of working at the casino, spending most of her shifts tuning and fixing machines. Thanks to both of their stable incomes, they were able to afford a nice apartment of their own.</p>
<p>It was pouring rain one night as Sam pulled his police cruiser into the parking lot of their apartment complex. Suzu was in the passenger seat, and they had already changed out of their work clothes into something more casual. It had been a long day for Suzu, and she hoped to shower, watch some TV, and eat junk food until she fell asleep.</p>
<p>Sam shut off the engine. “You ready?”</p>
<p>She knew he was referencing the rain and raised her jacket over her head. “All set. Go!”</p>
<p>They jumped out of the cruiser and dashed across the parking lot to their apartment. The only light sources available to guide them were the street lamps giving the parking lot an orange and yellow glow. When they made it to their door, Sam asked, “You have the keys, right?”</p>
<p>A pause. “I thought you had them.”</p>
<p>Frantically, they searched their pockets as it thundered in the distance. Suzu put her jacket back on so that she could check its pocket. It was proving useless as a shield against the heavy rain anyways.</p>
<p>Realizing neither of them had the keys, Sam exclaimed, “Well this sucks!”</p>
<p>Suzu initially agreed, but she couldn’t help but notice how nice the rain felt on her. Being on her feet more than usual at work, she had sweat up a storm, and it felt like the rain was washing it away. It wasn’t a warm shower inside, but it would do.</p>
<p>She walked out into the parking lot, her hands held out to her sides and her head lulled back. She had long been soaked by this point, but was able to easily ignore how her clothes were sticking to her. It kind of felt like she was in a dramatic movie where a character goes out into a storm to better connect with nature.</p>
<p>Sam called over to her, “What are you doing?”</p>
<p>“Taking a shower. I’ve been waiting for one all day.”</p>
<p>She heard the sound of shoes splashing water as he came over. “Mind if I take a shower with you?”</p>
<p>Suzu laughed. “Sure, but no shower sex. Then you’d have to arrest us.”</p>
<p>He returned the laugh as he hugged her from behind, causing her to roll her head to the side and hold the arms that were on her abdomen. “Fine. Even if it is tempting.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure you’d love the adrenaline rush of public sex.”</p>
<p>“And you wouldn’t?” he asked before kissing her neck.</p>
<p>“Touché, Tsundere.”</p>
<p>Suzu wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, letting the rain soak them further. However long, it was pure bliss standing like that with the love of her life. By that point, she had known for some time that Sam was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her days with. Sure their relationship had its ups and downs, but she couldn’t imagine herself with anyone else.</p>
<p>Her parents approved of him too, which was always a plus. Her mother told her last month that she believed Sam was her future husband, and her father was determined to teach him basic Italian so he could meet the extended family in Italy. Francesca just adored him. Poor Sam didn’t know how to handle a little girl invading his personal space and asking tons of questions, but anyone could see Francesca had grown on him. She was like the little sister he never had.</p>
<p>Sam asked, “Do you hear that?”</p>
<p>She strained her ears to hear what he was talking about. One of their neighbors was playing a sweet piano piece. They must’ve been blasting it on some speakers if she and Sam could hear it over the rain. It grew louder, either due to a crescendo or their neighbor turning up the volume.</p>
<p>She answered, “Yep. Who listens to classical music that loud?”</p>
<p>Gently, Sam turned her around, resting one hand on her waist and using the other to hold her own hand. “Well, shall we dance?”</p>
<p>Suzu wasn’t sure where this was coming from, but she grinned and placed her free hand on his shoulder. They began swaying to the music, Sam leading. They were being pummeled by rain and occasionally had to blink to get water out of their eyelashes, but they might as well have been in a ballroom. It was quite romantic if Suzu did say so herself.</p>
<p>She asked, “What’s with the sudden interest in dancing?”</p>
<p>He smiled like he was hiding something. “No reason. I just wanted to dance with you.”</p>
<p>This was more than just a whim to slow dance, but she knew Sam would reveal the true reason in due time. “So, catch any bad guys today?”</p>
<p>“If by bad guys you mean speeding cars and loitering teens with skateboards, then yeah, I did.”</p>
<p>She joked, “My hero. What would Chicago do without you?”</p>
<p>“On the bright side, we think we’re onto a Capone drug ring. I meant to tell you that last night, actually.”</p>
<p>“Is that why you talked to my dad yesterday?”</p>
<p>He looked like a deer caught in headlights. “What?”</p>
<p>“My mom said you stopped by the casino on my lunch break to talk to my dad. Was it about the Capones?”</p>
<p>He stopped dancing and held both of her hands. “No. It didn’t have anything to do with those shitheads.”</p>
<p>Given his reaction, Suzu considered letting it go, but curiosity took over. “What were you guys talking about?”</p>
<p>She couldn’t hear it over the rain, but she could see him sigh in defeat. “I was hoping to do this once the rain stopped, but I guess the surprise is kind of ruined.”</p>
<p>“Surprise?”</p>
<p>Without another word, Sam let go of Suzu’s hand and slowly got down on one knee. Her gaze followed him as he knelt, mouth hanging open as she realized what he was doing. She had known this was coming eventually, but now that it was happening, it felt surreal.</p>
<p>He brought her left hand to his lips and kissed her ring finger, the back of her hand, and then her wrist. Suzu could feel her energy gathering at those points, but Sam didn’t take any of it. As he pulled his face away, Suzu noticed a green light moving around her hand. At first it moved and looked kind of like the liquid in a lava lamp, but it quickly thinned out and began to move faster. It zipped to her ring finger, circling around it a few times before transforming into a golden ring. On the gold was a diamond with two smaller emeralds on each side.</p>
<p>Sam spoke, “When I first left the demon world, I thought I would eventually go back. It was my home, and I thought that was where I belonged. But then I met you. A sassy, brave, beautiful, loyal, funny, and just all-around amazing woman. And I knew I could never go back to the Abyssal Plains, because my home is wherever you are. You are the most important person in my life, and I love you more than anything. I want to be worthy of you and your love, and will spend the rest of my life trying to be the man you deserve.”</p>
<p>She knew she probably shouldn’t interrupt his speech, but she didn’t want him to deprecate himself. “Sam... I swear you’re already worthy.”</p>
<p>His smile was her only confirmation that he had heard her. “I figured I’d do the human thing where I ask your dad for permission and get on one knee. I was also planning on making this a lot more romantic. I guess what I’m trying to say is: Suzu ‘Dingus’ Cappini, will you marry me?”</p>
<p>It was difficult to tell with the rain, but she thought she felt her eyes well up with tears. She ended up borderline yelling, “Yes! Yes, you bet your ass I’ll marry you!”</p>
<p>Sam quickly stood back up and the two locked into a passionate kiss. She could taste the rain on his lips and feel his smile under her own. They broke the kiss and squeezed each other in a hug, enjoying the other's body heat.</p>
<p>Suzu said, “I love you so much.”</p>
<p>“I love you too.”</p>
<p>As they hugged, Suzu wished they could go inside and celebrate. That’s when she realized something. “Hey, Tsundere?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“If neither of us has the key, how would we have locked the door this morning?”</p>
<p>They stood still for a moment, but they eventually made their way back to the door. Sam twisted the knob, successfully opening the door to their apartment.</p>
<p>“...Fuck.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>With Matthew’s wages from working at Anderson Toys and Naomi’s student loan, they were able to buy a tiny apartment in the suburbs of Chicago. Only being in culinary school, Naomi couldn’t do much as far as bills, but she did her best to take on most of the housework. Simon could make quite a mess at times, so her chores usually consisted of cleaning up after him. Matthew, being the angel he was, didn’t mind footing most of the bills.</p>
<p>The morning after Sam proposed to Suzu, Naomi stepped out of her house in a nightgown and slippers. Yawning, she approached the mailbox, careful to avoid any puddles left by the night’s rain. Collecting the mail, she looked through it to see if <em>the </em>letter had arrived.</p>
<p>It had.</p>
<p>Ripping open the envelope, she read the letter to see if it was the news that she had hoped to receive. Barely containing her excitement and almost dropping the other pieces of mail, she ran back into the house.</p>
<p>She had to make sure she didn’t slam the door behind her when she got inside. “Matthew! Simon! It’s here!”</p>
<p>She heard Matthew run out of his room as well as Simon hopping out of a kitchen pantry. They got to her at the same time. Matthew was in his pajama pants and Simon had Cheeto dust on his knifeless paw and around his mouth.</p>
<p>Matthew asked, “What’s it say?!”</p>
<p>She read the letter, “<em>Naomi Patterson, we are pleased to inform you that your application for the study abroad program has been accepted. This upcoming fall semester, you will be studying in Paris, France. Given your academic performance, you are being granted scholarships to cover tuition, room and board, and the ticket(s) you requested. Be prepared to pay for any books and supplies your instructors require you to purchase. Except for special events on campus, food will not be provided, so be sure to have the funds for meals. Your ticket(s) are enclosed in the envelope. Congratulations on your acceptance and have a good summer.</em>”</p>
<p>“Holy crap, that’s awesome!” The hugged each other. “Congrats! I knew you’d get in!”</p>
<p>They pecked each other on the lips, Simon covering his eyes at the display of affection. When they pulled apart, Matthew looked genuinely happy, but Naomi could see something was bothering him.</p>
<p>She asked, “What’s the matter?”</p>
<p>“Nothing,” he said, “I’m just really going to miss you.”</p>
<p>That’s right. She was leaving that as a surprise. “Don’t worry.” She pulled out two plane tickets to Paris from the envelope. “We can go together!”</p>
<p>His jaw dropped as he took in the sight of the tickets. “Seriously?!”</p>
<p>“Yep! I bought tickets for both of us! And since Simon doesn’t need a ticket, we can all go to Paris!”</p>
<p>Snapping out of his stupor, Matthew adopted a bad French accent as he held one of her hands and twirled her around. “Ah, Paris. The city of beauty and romance. Where lovers go for fine dining and romantic evenings by the river.”</p>
<p>Wrapping an arm around her and holding her hand, he dipped her down so far that, for a moment, she thought she was going to fall. As he kept her in that pose, she could only laugh.</p>
<p>Talking normally, he said, “I can’t wait.”</p>
<p>She asked, “Can we kiss on top of the Eiffel Tower?”</p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure it’s illegal for couples not to kiss on the Eiffel Tower when in Paris,” he joked.</p>
<p>They kissed, ignoring Simon’s tiny noise of disgust. When they separated, Matthew brought her back upright. She rubbed her nose against his before saying, “I love you.”</p>
<p>“I love you too.”</p>
<p>They heard a noise coming from the floor, and looked down to see Simon reaching his arms up. Without hesitation, Naomi scooped him up and kissed his cheek. “And we love you too!”</p>
<p>“Let’s have breakfast and then call everyone.”</p>
<p>Naomi agreed before adding to Simon, “Breakfast that isn’t Cheetos.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>As Mika’s boyfriend, James was the only incubus still living in the mansion. Not long after the girls graduated high school, he had succeeded in becoming CEO of Anderson Toys. Under his guidance, the business was doing better than ever while keeping in mind Mika’s grandfather’s vision of making children happy. Mika couldn’t have been prouder of him. With the CEO position filled, she was freed from her familial obligation. She could choose whatever career she wanted. For the time being, she was working to get her Bachelor’s degree, and hoped she’d know where to work by the time she graduated.</p>
<p>James set the last dish of food on the dining room table. “The table’s been elongated enough to fit ten people, all of the food’s been prepared, and everyone has a glass of water. I think we’re ready for this party.”</p>
<p>Mika smiled and inhaled the scent of fresh food. It wasn’t uncommon for them to host dinner for their friends and James’ brothers, but tonight was a special occasion. Sam and Suzu had gotten engaged the night before and Naomi had gotten her acceptance letter that morning. This was a celebration instead of a regular get together.</p>
<p>Damien entered the dining room, holding silverware. Out of all the brothers, he’s the only one to live by himself. Everyone had worried he’d become lonely, but he insisted that living alone helped him concentrate when writing his children’s books. He lived in a tiny apartment building that he often had to himself when his few neighbors went to work. It’s one of the few times there’s no human or demon mind to read.</p>
<p>Mika asked Damien, “Are they here yet?”</p>
<p>“I don’t hear Matthew, Sam, Naomi, or Suzu, but-”</p>
<p>They heard the door open and the muse Kallichore, better known as K, shout, “HELLO!”</p>
<p>Not long after Diana left, K had finally given them the rundown of what happened. According to her, another muse had been influencing Diana, and it was forbidden for muses to interfere with each other’s “stories.” That's why K couldn’t say anything until Diana left. Despite her surprising origins, she was still the energetic and silly K Mika, Naomi, and Suzu knew.</p>
<p>K asked as she walked into the dining room, “Are the happy couples here yet?”</p>
<p>Mika replied, “Besides James and me, no.”</p>
<p>“Not to sound shady or anything, but I have got to see the ring! It’s been forever since I’ve seen jewelry created by magic!”</p>
<p>Erik entered the dining room, followed by his roommate, business partner, and best friend, Andrew Lewis. After Erik met Andrew at the party, they bumped into each other again. The charismatic flirt and the shy gentleman were like yin and yang, becoming fast friends. Now, they ran a fashion line with Erik in charge of the fashion and Andrew in charge of the business aspect. It was an unbeatable combination.</p>
<p>For a long time, Andrew had no idea his business partner was an incubus. He only found out two months ago when Erik decided he was fed up with lying to his best friend. Andrew, while he had suspected Erik had some sort of talent he wasn’t aware of, was understandably shocked, but he adjusted to the new information well enough. Learning about demons not only strengthened his relationship with Erik, but it fully made him part of their little clique.</p>
<p>Andrew held up an English-French dictionary. “I brought this for Matthew and Naomi. With Sam and Suzu’s engagement, I thought Naomi might feel overshadowed.”</p>
<p>Mika said, “Don’t worry. When I talked to Naomi on the phone, she was thrilled about the engagement. I think she completely forgot about her study abroad program.”</p>
<p>Erik chuckled. “See, Andrew? I told you she wouldn’t be jealous.”</p>
<p>Andrew shrugged. “I like to be prepared.”</p>
<p>Damien made his way out of the dining room saying, “I’ll get the front door.”</p>
<p>As soon as he finished his sentence, there was a knock at the front door. No doubt it was the other two couples who had carpooled over.</p>
<p>Andrew asked Mika, “How long does it take to get used to that?”</p>
<p>She answered, “Damien’s mindreading? Don’t worry, you’ll hardly notice it soon. You might even learn how to hide your thoughts.”</p>
<p>Erik added, “Mika’s learned how to feel rather than think. It’s a skill James might find useful from time to time.</p>
<p>James rolled his eyes. “Maybe it’d do you good to think more.”</p>
<p>Andrew teased, "Maybe he's got a point."</p>
<p>Erik pretended to be astonished. "Andrew, how could you betray me like that?!"</p>
<p>Damien reentered the dining room, but he was accompanied by all of the missing guests. Naomi was holding a plate of chocolate eclairs that Simon kept staring at from his perch on her shoulder.</p>
<p>K half jogged up to them, attempting to hug them all, but only managing to get Suzu and Matthew. “Congratulations!” She released them and gently yet eagerly took hold of Suzu’s left hand. “Oh my gosh, that ring is so beautiful!”</p>
<p>Andrew looked over K’s shoulder. “That ring was made out of magic?”</p>
<p>Erik took a peek and nodded in both approval and confirmation. “You’ve outdone yourself, Sam.”</p>
<p>Suzu said, “Hey. It could’ve been a ring pop and I still would’ve said yes.”</p>
<p>Matthew commented, “If I got a ring pop as a ring, I’d probably just eat it. I wouldn’t be able to control myself.”</p>
<p>Naomi giggled as she set the plate of eclairs on the table. “Eating it might be the only way to protect it from Simon.”</p>
<p>The toy in question laughed at her comment before jumping to an empty spot on the table. He surveyed the surrounding dishes like he was trying to decide what to eat first.</p>
<p>James offered his arm to Mika as he suggested, “Now that everyone’s here, why don’t we start eating?”</p>
<p>Mika took his offered arm while everyone else took their seats. “You and Damien did a wonderful job cooking. Sorry I couldn’t help more.”</p>
<p>James chuckled, “School takes precedence over helping me make dinner, Love.”</p>
<p>She leaned her head on his shoulder, giving his arm a little squeeze. He had started calling her ‘Love’ not long after they had started dating. She was used to it, but she’d never stop loving it. Just like the day they met, he led her to her chair before taking his seat by her.</p>
<p>When everyone was seated, Suzu asked, "When are you guys planning on going to Paris?"</p>
<p>Naomi answered, "The middle of August."</p>
<p>"Wow, that doesn't give us a lot of time until the wedding."</p>
<p>Mika asked, "What do you mean?"</p>
<p>Sam smiled. "Since we don't want a big wedding, we thought it might be possible to get married before Matthew, Naomi, and Simon left."</p>
<p>James said, "Well, depending on how small you'd like the wedding to be, that could be arranged."</p>
<p>Suzu explained to everyone, "As much as my folks want us to get married in a church, we're thinking about having the wedding by Lake Michigan. It'll just be everyone in this room, some of my family, and maybe some of our coworkers."</p>
<p>Sam added, "I suggested getting married on the mansion's roof, but Dingus here pointed out that it might be dangerous for her sister and grandparents. I wouldn't mind <em>not </em>inviting coworkers, but I'd never hear the end of it at the station if I didn't."</p>
<p>K got out her tiny notebook that she usually took orders in. "You'll have to get your dress ASAP. You should also pick a place to get married soon in case you need to reserve a time. You'll also need someone to officiate the wedding. Hint hint, wink wink."</p>
<p>Damien clarified, "She wants to officiate the ceremony."</p>
<p>The rest of the dinner was uneventful. It was just a close group of family and friends chatting and joking. The atmosphere was nothing but positive and hopeful about what was to come, and they all lived happily ever after...</p>
<p>Until the Demon War.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As if making you all wait longer than usual was bad enough, now you all have to wait for an unknown amount of time for the sequel! I've found that finishing the first draft of the entire story and posting each chapter as I edit is a better method for me than writing a chapter, posting it, and then writing the next chapter. That's what I'm planning on doing with the sequel to this fanfic.</p>
<p>That being said, I can't give a good estimate of when I'll post the first chapter. I'm almost done with the outline, and have already started writing the beginning. I won't give too much away, but there are two things you should know about the story. One is that it's going to combine all of the boys' routes in the second game, creating a smorgasbord. Two is that there will be some changes from canon. For example, as someone who's grown up believing in angels, I find it hard writing them as antagonists. However, they will be imperfect creatures.</p>
<p>Before I post the sequel, I'll probably write and post short stories that take place in this universe. I think it'd be beneficial to show how Andrew and Erik became friends and how Andrew found out about incubi. Sam and Suzu will be married by the time the sequel starts, so I've considered writing their wedding.</p>
<p>If you've made it this far into the note, I congratulate your patience! Please have a fantastic day and I hope you all come back for the sequel!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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